Erebus Enthroned – Temple Under Hell
Pure Australian black metal, excellently produced and containing an authentic atmosphere that will put you in mind of the mid 90’s in feel and execution. Temple Under Hell is Erebus Enthroned’s second full-length amidst a handful of split releases and it shows a band honed in on their malevolent intentions with technical skill that rises above the heap of Darkthrone and Burzum clones with a very professional attack made even more wicked thanks to potent songwriting.
Having never heard this band before, it was a nice surprise to experience such a well composed and produced slab of black metal. I can hear a definite Swedish influence in those melodies and overall aggressive movement in the riffs, but thankfully Erebus Enthroned are far from a Dissection or Sacramentum clone (those reverbed to the max tom hits in Void Wind sure aren’t cloaking their appreciation), though they could sit quite comfortably on that imaginary tour bus. Well placed tempo and music breaks/accents keeps each track flowing with interest and flair. Even though there is nothing new on display here, Erebus Enthroned uphold a very memorable riff writing style that puts me in mind of the flowing and infectious style of the late David Parland (Necrophobic, Dark Funeral, Infernal) with their burning motion and comparable balance between bludgeoning speed picking and sinister harmonies. The mid-ranged screams of the vocalist offer nothing new to black metal singing as we know it, but his lyrical placement works perfectly, as does his overall fiery performance. As Erebus Enthroned emerges from the blazing speed on the track “Black Sword” with a meaty heaviness that shows the many effective and diverse songwriting tools in their deadly arsenal, I am again reminded that originality comes in many forms.
Even though though Erebus Enthroned may be employing a formula that we’ve all heard countless times, there is no denying this bands musical effectiveness and pension for writing potent songs that they crush the hell out of with their conviction. Temple Under Hell is a damn fine black metal album for the ages that simply rips the heavens with sheer will and a musical/instrumental intensity that is thankfully hard to ignore. -Marty
Seance Records
Worm Gear 