Eye of the Pantheon

A teaser video on YouTube was the first thing that I saw and heard of Eurynomos. The short excerpts of their compositions began with a galloping riff which attracted my attention immediately. And exactly this riff kicks off "Eye of the Pantheon", the second part of the band's trilogy. Honestly speaking, this riff sounds as if the band rides on an "Iron Pegasus". But joking aside, the here presented vinyl is a phenomenal work.

Catchy and old-fashioned at the same time, the aforementioned guitar line constitutes a fantastic fundament for the first song of the EP. The group performs its eponymous anthem which glows and grows in the darkest corner of the underground. The earthy production matches perfectly with the musical approach of the tradition-conscious dudes. Needless to say that Okkulto and his equally experienced comrades are still loyal to the black thrash genre and its roots. Once again, they reanimate the spirit of the old days so that their tracks are the most efficient antidote to my midlife crisis. Already the first guitar tones of the infectious opener generate the gloomy aura which ignites the imagination. A weather-beaten castle ruin that lies hidden in the fog on a dark November day - this picture appears before my inner eye. But the entire song hits the listener straight between the eyes. Among other things, the solo is masterly embedded and the simple yet ingenious chorus tops off this sonic adventure. Did I ever listen to a better piece of black thrash metal? Please wait two hours, then I will give you a spontaneous answer.

Speaking of spontaneity, this important feature is not killed by the carefully thought out concept of the trilogy. Although the cover of "Eye of the Pantheon" is - probably based on a long-term plan - aligned with that of the debut, the music itself sounds fresh and explosive. The band has seen no reason to change its compositional approach. With regard to the quality of their debut, it goes without saying that this was the right decision. Therefore, the raw voice of Okkulto, the extremely effective riffs and the smooth yet very powerful choruses are still the outstanding characteristics of the music. Not to mention the occult atmosphere. The uncanny melodies work in an admirable way. Especially the title track possesses a very profound aura. Apart from the overwhelming chorus, the song combines morbidity with melodies successfully and the triumphant solo also hits the bull's eye. Additionally, this track shows that Eurynomos are not afraid of breaks - and they know how to handle them. Finally, the band has integrated a few Latin lines in accordance with the lyrical topic. This action reminds me of the malignant debut of Necrodeath. As you probably know, the Italians also offered some lines in the classic language of their country in order to increase the level of eeriness.

However, Eurynomos have the right attitude and their creativity leads to gargantuan results. With the exception of the fairly short playtime, I do not find a weak point. Instead, "Eye of the Pantheon" provides the second evidence that this mighty steel colossus enriches the German (European? Worldwide?) underground in a glorious way. I am very optimistic that the three tracks will withstand the test of time. Nevertheless, the dark horde has not yet proven that it is also able to master the crucial challenge: to create a full-length of the same (almost) unbeatable quality.