ARKHETH - 12 Winter Moons Comes The Witches Brew
Transcending Obscurity Records
No sooner was I saying how one sub genre of black metal, ie: symphonic, was making a huge comeback in various countries along comes this. Well what was once old is new again, again. Case in point here is Avant-garde influenced black metal courtesy of Australia's ARKHETH. Now I'm sure there are those out there who will give this a listen and believe it's experimental, mindbogglingly and ground breaking. And you would be wrong. In fact the only ground breaking would be underneath you from the weight of your error.
You think saxophones are new to black metal? Japan's SIGH was using them back in the 1990s. How about some cyber Goth dance aesthetics? Attila Csihar was playing around with that back in 2001 with Italy's ABORYM. Now as far as just plain Avant-garde exploration in black metal then look no further than Norway's ARCTURUS and ULVER. Now don't get me wrong I'm not trying to downplay this release or the one man behind it, Tyraenos (aka:Tyrone Kostitch). I'm just trying to set the stage correctly.
Speaking of which ARKHETH wasn't always a one man BM act. It started out as an actual band back in 2001. They released albums in 2003 and 2010. But in 2016 Tyraenos decided to take full control and now performs all instruments and sings. The saxophone playing is done by a guy named Glen Wholohan. On 12 Winter Moons Comes The Witches Brew Tyraenos is definitely pushing black metal in a new direction and that's two steps backwards to circa 1993 - 2003.
Musically this is blackened space rock that hints at PINK FLOYD which has become as trendy as beardo and newly tattooed hipsters. Add to that I think someone hanging out in a Goth basement club would be digging the dance groove being pushed on a cut or two. Need more excitement then there's the haunting and bizarre (as if he's high on some synthetic hallucinogenic drug) sax playing. Most likely he's probably had one too many cans of Fosters. But whatever the case this release is a weird creation.
Be that as it may as I've always made clear I have no problem with BM acts taking on outside musical influences into their cannon. But when it's free jazz meets wannabe 70's prog and psych with added touches of Goth and black metal. Well I'm sure someone in Brooklyn is digging this as well as the metal media that typically hates black metal.
https://tometal.com/
https://arkheth.bandcamp.com/album/12-winter-moons-comes-the-witches-brew-experimental-black-metal
https://www.facebook.com/arkheth/
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