This is a the debut album from Temple ov Ahriman, a solo black metal band from the US.
Aided by a session drummer, this solo act delivers 43 minutes of well-crafted black metal on Heretics of Consensual Reality. The first record by Temple ov Ahriman is one that you should absolutely check out if you’re a fan of an old style played both very well and with good ideas.
Heretics of Consensual Reality is raw and underground, delivering eight songs of engaging black metal. Mixing together Scandinavian and Finnish influences, along with a touch of crusty hardcore, the music reeks of the late 90s and 00s. However, it also carries enough of a contemporary edge that it does occasionally feel more recent too. The latter is not a huge part of the Temple ov Ahriman sound, but manifests enough that it’s clear the artist has taken on newer influences as well as old-school ones, rather than strictly limiting himself.
The songs are atavistic and aggressive, but tempered by a darkly atmospheric side. The music recalls an ancient windswept frozen tundra, but one full of additional dangers that lurk in the shadows. The songs are packed with grim riffs laced with frost and fierce icy grooves. Blackened melody layers the music with a light dusting of feeling, occasionally burning brighter as is required by the artist. A range of paces and dark auras are explored, making for an album that rewards fans of the style with more than enough to satisfy.
Emotion is a larger part of Heretics of Consensual Reality than you might expect. The artist behind Temple ov Ahriman makes good use of melody in this regard, infusing the songs with an emotive content that’s surprising. As the record progresses, so does this side of the music, with different ideas being creatively deployed. This corresponds to an increase in song length, and the record seems to grow bolder and more confident with every track. In fact, one of the strengths of Heretics of Consensual Reality is that each song has its own identity. Within the record’s overall framework, each song has something individual all to itself, while also effectively contributing to the overall structure and flow of the album as a whole.
The vocals are mainly high-pitched screams, delivered with skill and passion. Deeper, harsher utterances back these up in places, (the deep growls, most prominently displayed on the title track, are fantastic, for example). Two songs boast guest vocals, all from members of Brüka. The first is opener War in Heaven, which contains the striking clean singing of Brüka’s bassist. Her voice is a powerful, atypical addition to the music, and it’s a shame she doesn’t feature on a couple more tracks, (alongside a few more of the growls mentioned above). The remaining three members of Brüka appear on the raging SPQB, where they provide backing gang vocals.
All of the above succeeds in allowing for well-rounded, satisfying blackened landscapes to be formed. With a decent amount of variety, a wealth of good songwriting, and a more than competent execution, Heretics of Consensual Reality is a strong debut record from Temple ov Ahriman.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 