Over the past nine years since releasing The Dreaming, things changed for this band. Changed in the best way possible as Akhlys’ new album House Of The Black Geminus (Debemur Morti Productions) features a darker, more intricate layering of sounds, at least on the opening track of their new album. 

Vocally, the screams that form the narrative of this album are about as pissed as Black Metal gets. The songs ebb and flow rather than numbing you with a relentless stream of blast beats. Darkness and dynamics are the key ingredients all Black Metal bands should possess. They summon a sound so convincing that if you didn’t know better you would assume them to be Scandinavian rather than just some dudes from Colorado.

They begin to employ a dense wall of pounding drums on the second song, though layer it with other sounds to provide a slight atmospheric cushion to what your ears are hit with. So you are distracted by what you are being hit with. They have a big dissonant sound that locks its teeth in you and drones you into submission. Not far from the formula Darkthrone employed early in their careers, just executed with different shades of black. 

There is a more deliberate riffing to “Through The Abyssal Door” with a sonically intense guitar sound that creates a singular pulse that they attack the listener with from different angles. 

“Sister Silence, Brother Sleep” roars with a syncopated outburst of anger. It only takes a minute for its momentum to begin to run away with it. The vocals are accented in a manner that gives it a bigger marching feel. They allow this to sprawl out into ten minutes, which is the kind of excess many American Black Metal bands feel the need to indulge in. Perhaps this is a testament to the decadence of the “American Way,” where their Scandinavian counterparts do this in either a more symphonic manner or in the kind of rebellious spirit as Punk Rock. But to the band’s credit, they do not try to indulge the “hipster’ sensibilities of Post-Rock fans who dabble in Black Metal as a novelty, which is why the ugly feelings on this album feel genuine. 

The album closes in a more grandiose fashion. The chaos of blast beats juxtaposed against the bubbling undercurrent of blast beats feels like the song is wrestling against itself. Should it conform to the expectations of Black Metal or will it be allowed to grow into its beast? 

It might lean closer to conforming to the standards of the genre, but fans of this band should appreciate the creepy melody that crawls over it. This album is a step forward for the band, which is perfecting the best elements of previous releases and binding them into a more compact vessel of shadows and the malice that lurks within. They continue to legitimize their Black Metal legacy and all who wish to partake in the seething wrath within will not be disappointed. 

Buy the album here:
https://akhlys.bandcamp.com/album/house-of-the-black-geminus

8 / 10
WIL CIFER