Passing the Nekromanteion

It would have been enough, after an entire decade, to just have any new release from one of the filthiest, most intense French acts I've ever encountered and enjoyed. But beyond that, this latest Arkhon Infaustus EP, Passing the Nekromanteion hits a greater level of maturity and musicianship, without sacrificing the nightmarescapes of blackened death that the Frenchmen had cultivated with killer records like Perdition Insanablis, Filth Catalyst and Orthodoxyn. Though one could trace their own sound to sources like Morbid Angel or Angelcorpse, I've always found that this band's hybrid of extremity was actually ahead of its time, a huge number of popular acts from North America adopting similar styles about a decade after they first hit the scene with material like In Sperma Infernum or Hell Injection, and while they might be slightly overlooked by comparison to countrymen like Deathspell Omega or Blut Aus Nord, I found them just as distinct and formidable an enterprise.

This is a heavily textured, roiling, wall of sound, which paces itself a little less frantically than some of their older albums, but serves as an ideal example of controlled chaos. I'm reminded of Steve Tucker-era Morbid Angel via Gateways to Annihilation, only even more muscular and apocalyptic, as if it had some dystopian industrial sheen to it, with snarls alternated against the guttural vocals and a good breadth of variation. Riffs don't seem terribly stunning individually, but once embedded into the overwhelming force of the tracks, they transform into tightly wound coils of destruction ready to spring into attention with a seconds' notice, lurching and crawling and slithering below the vocals while faint hazes of dissonant atmosphere are created through the interaction of the instruments themselves, with few other adornments needed. When the band hits its faster tempos, the riffing is like a heavier broth of melodic Swedish death and black metal, and the three leading tracks all manage their 7-8 minute durations without lagging into sullen ennui or repetitive boredom, though most of any 'experimentation' is reserved almost exclusively to the 10 minute closer, "Corrupted
Épignosis"...

This is probably the one 'take it or leave it' track here, but I found myself aligning with the former compulsion. It opens with vaulted, droning guitars that are strummed in different distances from the listeners' ears, and then moves forward with a sluggish, doomed pace, lots of feedback or excess notes ringing off into a solemn, bleak environment that eventually erupts with this glaze of melodic doom/death which feels like a bucket of innocents' tears has just been dumped over your head, only to run down over your sinful flesh and evaporate. A really absorbing, intense finale in its own way, even if the audience might not find it balanced off with the other three tracks in terms of excitement that it generates. All around though, the rich, dense production qualities of this EP and the skilled, seasoned aggression of DK Deviant, the original member who handles all the instruments besides the drums (provided by Sylvain 'Skvm' Butet of Temple of Baal and The Order of Apollyon), really drive home the truth that this was one missed band for the last decade, and let's hope they stick around for a few albums longer. Potent stuff well suited to fans who like their black and death metal boiled and hardened into a seamless genre median of depth.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

It's been pretty long time, since Arkhon Infaustus was last seen alive and active. Let me remind you that their last album "Orthodoxyn" came out in 2007 and then the band was put on ice for almost seven years. But now Arkhon Infaustus are back... but with only DK Deviant left from the old line up. Neither Toxik Harmst nor Torturer are involved in Arkhon anymore. I don't really know the reasons, but I can say that it definitely is good to see Arkhon back and with new recording, which is "Passing the Nekromanteion" EP. Another surprise is the fact that it isn't released by Osmose, who unleashed all the previous Arkhon Infaustus pestilence. Les Acteurs de l'Ombre Productions is their new label and looking at their roster it can be quite surprising choice. But for me it's also good news, because LADLO is great, constantly improving record label. Enough of all that bullshit, let's check "Passing the Nekromanteion", shall we?

And yeah, I have to say that from the beginning this EP really blew my head off. It surely is a worthy and great comeback, even if this new Arkhon music is a little bit different from their old stuff. Sure, you'll find here these ultra fuckin aggressive and vicious black / death metal pieces, which could be compared to the likes of Belphegor or Angelcorpse and which characterized also the old Arkhon albums. Such "The Precipice Where Souls Slither" will rip your guts out instantly. Great, blasting, ferocious track, filled with killer riffs and such a good performance from both Deviant and Skvm (drums). Pure violence and intensity. Obviously, the other songs have also a lot in common with the Arkhon Infaustus of old, but tempo wise it isn't necessarily at constant full speed. There's a lot of variation about not only the tempos, but also about the riff style, the atmosphere of the music, etc. Sick blasts come together with almost ritualistic aura, but there are also some quite memorable and even slightly melodic parts. "Corrupted Épignosis" can be even controversial for the old Arkhon Infaustus fans, as this ten minutes long epic monument is instrumental and so different to the black / death metal savagery this band usually delivers. It has almost modern style black metal feel, but damn, I like this song a lot. I like all four songs, which are on "Passing the Nekromanteion", this EP is impressive and very damn well written and performed. It has this epic, but vicious and sick feeling, which works very well.

So, if I am allowed to give my verdict, then I can only say that this is a great return and a killer new recording from Arkhon Infaustus. I'm waiting for more, I believe there will be more, there must be!

Standout tracks: all are equally good
Final rate: 80/100