Athenaeum Of Sin Reviews

Upon pressing the play button, the listener is immediately immersed in the opening piece entitled Slain Children / Roaring Arrows / A Blood Atonement. The music begins with a haunting and enigmatic tone, gradually building to a captivating Wild West atmosphere. This leads to an explosive instrumental section that unleashes a barrage of aggression.

As you embark on the second instalment of the second piece, Endless Prairie, and the remaining seven songs, the listener’s ears, mind, and soul will experience a Wild West musical journey with diverse sounds, tones, tempos, moods, and atmospheres.
These songs offer a blend of old-school blackened
thrash/speed metal similar to legendary bands like Sodom, Destruction, Kreator and many others. There are also elements of seventies hard rock, southern/country rock, blues, jazz, boogie, groove, and even some doom metal and black and roll.

The listener will also hear occasional spoken words and sound effects that remind you of classic Wild West film soundtracks, making the musical journey even more immersive. Despite its fresh and contemporary feel, this music retains its traditional black thrash/speed metal roots.
This collection of nine wild, wild west and roll songs is a forbidden fruit of art, not just showcasing the band’s instruments and vocal devilmanship. Still, each of the nine songs is well-crafted in writing, composing/scoring; all have distinct styles and sounds.

At the same time, the production, and sound are crystal clear with a modern vibe, but the edges are raw and rough.

The instrumental guitar artistry utilises various tempos and tones, from the fast solo shreds to the complex riffs and rhythmic changes and the bass adding a nice groove tone; the drumming is equally impressive, incorporating various beats, fills, and striking rhythms that add depth and complexity to each song —simultaneously the raw and unfiltered vocals perfectly complement the instrumental prowess, featuring potent and piercing shrieks that enhance the overall character and intensity of each track. Two of the songs on this album caught my attention—simultaneously, it’s important to remember that this perspective may differ based on the unique viewpoints of each listener.

I want to focus on the fourth track, Devil’s Grin. What impressed me about this song was how seamlessly the vocals blended with the tone of Charlie Daniels’s song The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Even the music captured the undertone of the “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” atmosphere. Furthermore, the track’s overall mood captured the spirit of the Old West, making for a truly captivating experience.

While the seventh track, At Night In The Desert, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the early days of Black Sabbath with its gloom and doom tone/atmosphere. The vocal work has some similarities to Alice Cooper‘s vocal work but with a raw and aggressive tone. This song truly encompassed various styles and moods, with moments reminiscent of Moody Water’s blues fused with boogie rock energy. These two tracks impressed me, and the other seven songs, their fruit of art devilmanship, their unique sound and various avant-garde elements/influences impressed me.