Athenaeum Of Sin Reviews

The listener immediately presses the play button, and the listener is instantly transported into darkness and gloom. The first self-titled track, spanning over seven minutes, begins with the croaking of crows, the haunting chime of a clock tower, and the ominous beat of military drums —following suit with a blackened instrumental and fierce vocals, which leave an indelible mark on the listener’s psyche.

Following suit with the second piece, Into The Winter’s Nights, and the remaining five pieces, Eternal Funeral, offer the listener another forbidden fruit of cold, raw, and depressive black metal.

The album maintains the essence of their earlier EP release, The Exorcist, of taking the listener through the dark and depressive soundscapes of Norwegian 90s black metal. The production quality has improved, yet the rawness of the sound is maintained, evoking the feeling of a winter’s night in a lonely graveyard. The music draws inspiration from classic black metal bands like Mayhem and Burzum while incorporating elements of depressive black metal from Shining. Overall, this album is a hauntingly immersive experience that delves deep into the soul and captivates the ears.

The devilmanship of After Death is a complex and intricate blend of various elements and tempo changes, that work together to create a unique and immersive listening experience for the audience. These elements create a macabre and mystical atmosphere that draws listeners in and keeps them engaged throughout the songs/music.

What stands out most about this debut full-length album is the level of work and effort put into the instrumental and vocal aspects of the songs. The guitar work, in particular, is especially evident in the open section of track six, Self Immolation, where the listeners are treated to a sober atmosphere created by the chords before returning to the cold and raw black metal. Acoustic and whispers interrupt the cold atmosphere of the music, adding this unsettling vibe to the song. The few seconds of raw screams at the song’s end give the listener a final lift, leaving them both exhilarated and unnerved.

Overall, I like the devilmanship of the album and the careful attention to detail in the instrumental and vocal work. The songwriting and composition are top-notch, and the listener can truly appreciate the effort that went into creating this dark and haunting fruit of art (at the same time). This is a contention of their EP, not the music, but the songs titles – telling a concept of the UK Witch Craze in the late 16th Century, particularly in the south-east of England.