Rites of the Black Mass

Bands like Acheron are a mystery to me. Do the guys really want to be taken seriously? With regard to the endless adoration of old fellow Satan, the band seems to be very narrow-minded. To name your work "Rites of the Black Mass" is no excuse for stupid lyrics, even though you can refer to the more or less strict (and senseless) concept. The "diabolic" intros border on parody and the relatively primitive song structures do not display an overdose of creativity. I am not against a certain quantum of primitiveness, by no means. But this work lacks more or less completely of any other features. Acheron are not able to deliver surprising breaks or charismatic vocals and the predominantly lame drums seem to be the natural enemy of dynamism. Especially the vocals fail to add value to the songs. The barking cough of the so-called lead singer is predictable and expressionless, not to mention the ridiculous spoken words sequences. The guitar leads leave me cold as well. Not least due to the absence of stirring riffs, the band does not distinguish itself from the legions of competitors.

One might think that the ten intros are the main problem of the album. Do they damage the flow of the full-length? Of course. But I am willing to turn a blind eye to this shortcoming while trying to accept this configuration as a part of the album's concept. One might also think that the flat and emotionless sound is the greatest weakness of "Rites of the Black Mass". But far from it. No doubt, the lacklustre production has nothing in common with my idea of a lively sound. Even the intros are not able to create any kind of atmosphere. Anyway, this album is a debut and I do not see a reason to hate newcomers for a bad sound. Finally, one might think that the group's shitty "ideology" (a big word for their lyrical bullshit) drives the album into the ground. Admittedly, I cannot understand their "poetic" (another big word) approach. But I am able to ignore this nonsense. What has really turned me against this record is the non-existence of compositional ideas. Acheron just wallow in their stupidity and do not realize that almost each and every song is just some kind of tediously structured noise with absolutely interchangeable lyrics. Songs like the slow-moving, uninspired "Ave Satanas" or "One with Darkness" - try to avoid its squeaking solo - work like an overdose of sleeping pills.

Long story short, this band has no clue and I am almost speechless. I have absolutely no idea why this amateurish album was released. One song of a mediocre band offers more ideas than this work in total. However, if you cannot stand the masochistic temptation to make yourself familiar with this collection of throwaway tracks, you should lend an ear to "Summoning the Master". Despite the noisy solo, it is slightly better than the other tracks and does not completely lack of inspiration. But do not expect a good song.