With France’s scourge of black metal, Antaeus on hold since 2006s blistering Blood Libels, Antaeus vocalist MkM has decided to forge on with his on project, one that’s been simmering and brewing now for the better part of a decade and one relatively overlooked full length album. With the help of Bestial Satanic T (ex-Aborted) who plays all the instruments, the second album from Aosoth fills the void of vitriolic nastiness left by Antaeus’ hiatus.

Obvious comparisons and stylistic similarities to Antaeus are immediately apparent and viable as Aosoth certainly ply a slick, vehement form of slightly death metal based black metal that treads the balance between violent, slicing black metal and some mid paced menace. It’s also the same way Zyklon are black metal ― slightly more polished, modern and clean ― as the tone is slightly less septic and Satanic with more esoteric, occult themes as opposed to the direct, Flesh Cutting,  Satan worshiping savagery of Antaeus. Its not Deathspell Omega twisted, but at times the delivery has that cryptic, controlled psychosis as heard on the title track, “Path of Twisted Light” and “Teaching/Erasing” .

Still, when you hear the likes of opener “Songs Without Lungs”, “Embrace and Enlightment”, “Summon the Dead”, “Communion Through the Ruin” and the utterly seething standout “Banished” (not to mention a cover of the Antaeus song “Inner War” which blends in seamlessly with the rest of the album) its hard not to think of Antaeus. But that’s not really a bad thing and Aosoth drip with the same intensity and fury at times.

In a year where some relatively laid back metal has grabbed my interest (Alcest, Nechochwen, Orphaned Land, Negura Bunget etc) its nice to feel my blood pump, my teeth grind, minutes and have some genuine hate boiling in my soul for a few minutes.

[Visit the band's website]

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