Arkæon – Når Bjerge Bliver til Støv (Review)

Arkæon - Når Bjerge Bliver til StøvThis is the latest release from Danish black metallers Arkæon.

Originally a demo that came out last year, Når Bjerge Bliver til Støv is being unleashed anew, with an extra song, bringing its total duration to 29 minutes. Arkæon caught my eye by containing a member of Tongues, but seem more than capable of standing on their own merits. Continue reading “Arkæon – Når Bjerge Bliver til Støv (Review)”

Tongues – Formløse Stjerner (Review)

Tongues - Formløse StjernerTongues are a black metal band from Denmark and this is their second album.

Tongues create quality extreme metal – just check out 2014’s Thelésis Ignis or 2017’s Hreilia for ample evidence of this. It’s been a while, but Tongues have now returned with Formløse Stjerner, a 40-minute odyssey of abyssal exploration. Continue reading “Tongues – Formløse Stjerner (Review)”

Tongues – Thelésis Ignis (Review)

TonguesThis is the début EP of Tongues, who are from Denmark and play Black Metal.

This is the kind of evil, otherworldly Black Metal that immediately makes you sit up and take notice. As you listen to Thelésis Ignis there’s an almost tangible feeling of something inhuman watching you just out of sight; something lurking behind the thin veil of reality; something hungry and ancient. It’s as if by playing Thelésis Ignis you are playing a small part in a wider plan to summon whatever it is into this world.

These are the initial feelings evoked by this album; Thelésis Ignis contains power, promise and potential.

Thelésis Ignis may be classed as an EP but at 36 minutes in length it’s as long as some albums.

The music is intense, frightening and shares a lurking malice with the very best of involving and engaging Black Metal. The riffs are inventive and bold without dominating proceedings. Everything works together with everything else to complete the ritual.

Tongues have an underground sound that’s perfect for their style of music, allowing their Black Metal to shine darkly whilst not sounding polished or new in any way.

The evil atmospheres created by the band are all-encompassing while the music is playing and even when it stops it seems to linger, unwilling to let go of life. Some of the added sounds and effects that the band employ subtly in the background of the tracks are eerie and unnerving, like the very best occult Black Metal should be.

On the last song, Bloodline of the Blind, Tongues seem to drop all pretension of being a band in the regular sense. Here they fully embrace their ritualistic side and focus on the act of summoning the indescribable horror from another world.

Thelésis Ignis has elements of Death and Doom Metal in its sound which only goes to enhance the rich, dark palette that the band work from. The vocals in particular have a firm Death Metal basis as they are largely deep growls that seem to come from the bottom of the abyss.

This is a jaw-dropping début from Tongues. All fans of soul-eating Black Metal need to listen to this.