Style: Black Metal (Harsh vocals)
Review by: Stephen
Country: Canada
Release date: October 23, 2020
Howdy folks, let me start off by saying two notes about this album. First, this album was created by someone that I have worked closely with on my own musical projects and also features a bandmate of mine. Second, I’ve never acquired a taste for black metal excluding a very small number of albums I’ve enjoyed. With that said, I’m not going to blow smoke with this review and I won’t hype anything that I feel doesn’t deserve praise. So let’s dive in.
As I mentioned before, saying I’m not the biggest black metal fan is an understatement. The lo-fi production mixed with the lack of interesting compositions from the black metal I’ve heard to over the years has really not given me any enjoyment. So when I sat back and put Entropy Created Consciousness’ Antica Memoria Di Dis: Acheron & Lethe on the first thing I noticed was that the lo-fi production was there. However, it provided an aesthetic that added to the atmosphere of the album instead of being a detriment to the album. The best thing I can comparison I can make is to these vhs video filters that you see around now. You’re taking a high quality video and giving it a nostalgic effect compared to an actual vhs where the quality just isn’t good and all the enjoyment is coming from nostalgia. In other words, this album is well produced.
The album starts off with “The Sun is Silent” which does a great job immersing you in the atmosphere with a slow droning intro that quickly erupts into swelling riffs and emotive harsh vocals (including vocals from The Subway’s very own Jonah). This track really starts the album off very well and does a great job at drawing you into the journey that this album takes you on. You might as well call yourself Donte because you’re about to go through the inferno. The second track on the album “Minos / Cerberus” is one of my favorites on the album. The use of atmospheric pianos and synths really elevate this track to another level. The releases on “Minos / Cerberus” hit the spot, don’t get me wrong, but the small piano and synth breaks really make the high points hit that much harder. If you’ve followed my reviews before you know that I don’t like to dissect every track on an album, so the last track I will highlight is another one of my favorites, the album closer, “Judecca.” The entire album takes you on a journey, but this track is truly dynamic and really feels like a journey-within-a-journey. The release that happens around the 5:25 minute mark is both unexpected and so very satisfying. You will headbang until a familiar piano motif closes the track and album out. It really does send you off on a great note that makes you want to come back for more.
Overall, this album has restored my faith in black metal a bit and I’d encourage both fans of black metal and non-fans of black metal to check Antica Memoria Di Dis: Acheron & Lethe out. It leans more on the atmospheric black side over straight up black metal and I’d argue that is one of the album’s biggest strengths. If you are a fan of concept albums that truly take you on a journey, don’t miss this album. The album is a cohesive journey that still has its twists and turns that are welcomed with open arms each time they appear.
Recommended tracks: Judecca, Minos / Cerberus, The Sun is Silent
Recommended for fans of: Agalloch, Beherit, Blut Aus Nord
Final verdict: 9/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Entropy Created Consciousness is:
– Entropy Created Consciousness (Everything except drums and guest vocals)
– QD (Drums)
– Juiblex (Guest Vocals on tracks 1 & 7)
– The Archivist (Moog and Noise)
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