Review: Aethyrick – Gnosis

Review by Obsidian Pope

Aethyrick – Gnosis

Record Label: The Sinister Flame

Year: 2020

Rating: 10/10

Where we last left off with Aethyrick’s 2018 release entitled ‘Praxis’, the legions of listeners were craving for more; be still thy beating heart and behold the fermented followup ‘Gnosis’. Recognisable immediately from their first release, this band doesn’t merely write songs, they write entire albums, thematic and precise, both harmonically hallowing and hauntingly hollowing.

Blasting into the sinister stratosphere, ‘Gnosis’ opens to a barrage of bashing and smashing, emotive and malevolent, transporting thine ears back to their effervescent soundscape. ‘Will Embodied’ is chaos magic 101 encapsulated. It smashes and pulls, softens and dulls, bubbles and boils, yet as opposed to a noxious gaseous emission, the air of this album grows saturated with symphonic reckoning and as with their first release, an occult understanding permeates through the waves of the ‘Will Embodied’.

Moving into ‘Oneiric Portals’ we are once again at Aethyricks benevolent beckoning. This is the blast off into the unknown that in this journalist’s humble opinion, this band has perfected. The flawless combination of Black and Death Metal sounds reconcile their forgotten sacred heart, meshing with an elegance of which even the most sacred Gregorian chanting could only dream to attain. This portal has indeed now been opened, and lucidity at the dreamer’s behest. ‘Stellar Flesh’ offers something a bit more downtrodden, almost depressive in its nature, this is an emotional masterpiece crafted by abhorred hands. Reminiscent of Xasthur or Leviathan, this is pain in perpetuation of physical captivity; the chain which tethers our astral to the physical and the longing to break free.

Aethyrick

Arcane and archaic, the damaging demiurge arises in ‘Your Mysteries’, compelling even our darkest demons to take a step back and admire her revanence. Rising from a soundscape built ‘top pages of prose laced with pain, we are massacred with melody and led by hand down to death’s door. Love and horror have built a home within the body of ‘Your Mysteries’. Quorthon would be proud of the 5th track on this phenom. ‘Blood Acre’ is the classical Blackened beauty we’ve grown to expect of Aethyrick, and the ties which bind weave heavily back to Bathory.

This is stylistic supremacy wherein the mesmerised listener may need to remind themselves to breathe whilst listening. All encapsulating, breathtakingly gloomy, ‘Blood Acre’ is a medieval Jonestown, thus lending its way to sanctity and sacrifice. ‘Anointed Bones’ parlays all previous vibratory collections while adding extra spice to its sonic soup. The composition of this skeletal structure is magnificent and magical, adding in its entirety a maleficent mysticism to the aura of ambiance Aethyrick has constructed. This jaunting journey reaches its conclusion with ‘Golden Suffering’, once again leaving us to beg for more. Simply put, this is Black Metal. This is everything we love about Black Metal. This is everything we desire out of Black Metal. Journalism does this track no true justice, so I implore you, the reader and listener, to explore this for yourself and paint your own portrait of what you’ve heard. ‘Golden Suffering’ gets a “goddamn, this band is so fucking good” from me.

 All in all, I truly can’t say enough good things about this band, this release, everything they do. I would generally close a review with a component of poeticism, yet I am left in awe by what my ears and soul have just been through. By all means, make this a must listen, again and again and again. 10/10 and hoods up to Aethyrick who is one more perfect release away from notching their might into my favourite bands.

Aethyrick – Gnosis (Full Album)