Artist......: Unaussprechlichen Kulten
Album.......: Haxan Sabaoth
Year........: 2024
Genre.......: Death Metal
Label.......: Iron Bonehead Productions
Source......: WEB (16bit)
Encoder.....: libFLAC
Bitrate.....: 944 kbps avg.
F.Rate......: 44.1kHz
Playtime....: 00:42:37 / 302.45MB
R.Date......: 2024-02-04
S.Date......: 2024-02-02
Website.....: http://deezer.com/album/543731312
01. Lamia Sucuba 5:38
02. Cuatro Velas de Cebo Infantil 5:00
03. Our Almighty Chthonic Lords 5:15
04. Hexennippel 6:28
05. Dho Hna Formula 5:21
06. Back to the Mother Hydra and Father Dagon 6:38
07. Die Teufelsbucher 8:17
Unaussprechlichen Kulten, the æBlack BookÆ within the Cthulhu mythos that
describes the titular ôunspeakable cultsö1 that worship arcane deities.
Here we find an(other) extreme metal band preoccupied with the nightmarish
world of Lovecraftian mythology, but Unaussprechlichen Kulten can hardly be
called copycats, theyÆre one of the OG. Formed in 2001, the ChilΘan trio
already brought five works of increasingly layered, increasingly grandiose
and consistently heavy death metal to human ears. HΣxan Sabaoth, number
six, sees a continuation of this evolution, and an increased emphasis on
atmosphere, culminating in what might be their darkest and most delicious
outing yet.
It may be their newest, but HΣxan Sabaoth feels like UKÆs ôkvltö-est album.
All but gone are the bandÆs early Immolation-isms of dense, brutal OSDM
chuggery. Picking up where Teufelsbⁿcher left off, the focus has shifted to
more complex, layered compositions of half-dissonant, writhing riffing. The
band always kept their production on the rawer side, and this is no
exception, gritty and unpolished as ever. Yet thereÆs something about the
tone and mix of the guitars in particular that rings at one end with rich
echoes and the other with crystal clarity that one might prima facie
associate with black metal, and which lends solos a brilliant, wailing
insistence (ôCuatro Velas de Cebo Infantil,ö ôOur Almighty Chthonic
Lordsö). That, and the integration of spooky synth work, cavernous
atmospheres, and sparse spoken word, give the album an overtly, and
appropriately, occult vibe. UK also foreground twisting, mournful, wailing,
and even beautiful melodies that appear and disappear just as erratically,
adding further urgency and dynamism.
HΣxan SabaothÆs strength lies in how satisfyingly its creepiness, musical
intrigue, and straightforward gnarliness come together. Grounded in
repeating iterations of chiming, climbing riffs (ôLamia Sucuba,ö ôBack to
the Mother Hydra and Father Dagonö), skittering percussion (ôHexennipel,ö
ôDno Hna Formulaö), and synth (ôTeufelsbⁿcherö), the music flits between
doomy and solemn marches, and frenzied dances. Not only does this make it
incredibly dynamic, it makes each of the styles, whether gloomy and
creeping or hair-raising and savage, pop with immediacy. Licks of high,
shrill guitar strike with electricity that goes right down your spine
(ôLamia Sucuba,ö ôCuatroà,ö ôOur Almightyà,ö ôTeufelsbⁿcherö). Bass plucks
stalk with increased ominousness, (ôLamia Sucuba,ö ôHexennippelö) in brief
breaths filled with whispers or strokes of cymbal, before, with a whoosh of
synths (ôTeufelsbⁿcherö) or a tumble of drums (ôOur Almightyà,ö ôDno Hna
Formulaö) the music moves on into circular tempos or another sharp, wailing
solo. Tension and dread are thus built up effectively, and released in a
flourish.
In this way, UK succeed in making music that could be very inaccessible
quite accessible. Due to the fluctuating energies of the songs, that
nonetheless return to key refrains, and variations of them, each is
engaging, and the whole album slips by without you noticing. Plus, some of
those guitar solos are just lovely, in a very evil kind of way (ôCuatroà,ö
ôOur Almightyà,ö ôBack toàö); you can always rely on some slick, nasty
riffing to get you, and the album, moving. When UK do dial it down and turn
up the atmosphere, you get more of a sense that theyÆre experimenting,
although they do pull it off brilliantly in the haunting chasms of plucked
refrains and organ synth that open on final track ôTeufelsbⁿcher.ö Speaking
of synth, however, as spooky as it can be, starting every track with synth
and spoken-word gets a bit tired. ItÆs not too egregious, though, given the
strength the remainder of the songs possess.
With its creepy atmosphere, gnarly drum and guitarwork, and more overt
melodicism, HΣxan Saboath begs for repeat listens very easily achieved.
ItÆs nasty, itÆs exhilarating, and itÆs got bags of personality. UKÆs
evolution has reached an exciting new phase wielding some of the best
aspects of death and black metal with a fresh flair. ItÆs possible HΣxan
Sabaoth is their best album yet.