Aphrenous

"Ravaged By The Incessant Scourge Of Deception" is a lesson in old-school black metal worship done right. Truthfully, if I had not known this album was released this year, I would have truly believed it was some obscure gem unearthed from the mid 90's. Hateful black metal with an incredibly cold production. This album is raw, but not in an un-listenable way, every instrument is clearly heard (the bass gets buried a bit, big surprise) but for a sound like this, no other production could suit. It features only 3 long songs (total of 50 minutes long) of razor sharp riffing, minimalistic drumming, hateful vocals, icy eruptions of black hate emerge from every note, every drum hit and vocal line and the instrumental aura around the songs even make you feel the cold frost on your lips.

Honestly, I cannot stop listening to this album. It creates a weird kind of nostalgia for me, bringing me back to the great black devotion in the 90's. This newest release from Aphrenous is neither true nor cult (although it certainly sounds so) but has an unnerving sense of purity that has not been heard by these ears in quite sometime. I really hope they continue to make music in the future, because I will be a follower for many moons to come. Show your appreciation to their work by buying this great record at a great price here. Hail Aphrenous!

bandcamp | trve grim frostbitten