Fagerlund's reviews

Here I will post my reviews, of mostly Metal concerts/festivals that I've been to.

SETHERIAL - Ekpyrosis

Kategori: Albums

So this time I'm going to highlight some Swedish Black Metal. Going back to last year actually, as this one was released in 2010. A year that had some good Black Metal releases overall actually, and of course most people think Watain and their Lawless Darkness was the best album of the year. I however do not agree, and I'm still not convinced that one even tops their last release Sworn to the Dark. That's not what this is about however, instead I'm going to say that my favourite Black Metal album from last year was Setherials latest full lenght offering. I think this album really catches the essence of what Black Metal is. It has the rawness from the early years, and it also has the aggression from the same era. Yet it has so many subtle points in it. Almost every time that I listen to this album I discover something I've not heard before. A whispered lyric, a small keyboard melody in the background, some cool technical guitar bit etc. That's something I find really cool, as it is without a doubt pure Black Metal yet they manage to have these progressive elements that adds a very nice delicate touch to the whole thing.

I also quite like the lyrical theme of the album. It's obviously dark as it's Black Metal - but it's not the typical Satanic themes you usually hear. Instead we have the Ekpyrosis, which is the belief that the universe destroys itself and recreates again following a certain cycle. Setherial takes this and adds some typical Black Metal to it, and kind of creates a cosmic Satanism I guess? Sounds a bit funny, but at least it's refreshing! Anyhow I do like how the album kind of builds up to this destruction of everything and then just ends in silence - it really fits the theme, especially if you play the album several times in a row!

So that's what I really like about this album, despite being raw and uncompromising Black Metal it has so many layers to keep it interesting for a long time. And they manage to do this without going all symphonic with lots of orchestrations and all that jazz.

http://www.setherial.com/
http://www.myspace.com/setherialsweden




Tracklist:
1. A World In Hell
2. Ekpyrosis
3. The Mournful Sunset Of The Forsaken
4. The Devouring Eye
5. Subsequent Emissions From A Frozen Galaxy
6. Thoughts Of Life They Wither
7. Celestial Remains Of The Cosmic Creation
8. Enemy Of Creation

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