Sometime around the 5th of December, many children in the Netherlands and Belgium will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sinterklaas on his white steed, flanked by a number of Pieten. What colour these helpers might be, I neither know nor care, because in the shoes of some of those children, one might just find a CD or vinyl version of Ashspawn, the twelfth studio album by Belgian black metal outfit Enthroned—courtesy of the Season of Mist gift depot. Quite a few tears may be shed by these little ones when it turns out that this gift from Saint Nicholas was actually meant for mum or dad.
But all jokes aside. When someone mentions black metal and Belgium in the same breath, you inevitably arrive at the black metal band of the country: Enthroned. Their ritualistic black metal, seasoned and infused with frenzied blast beats and icy melodies, is well known to most of us. The gentlemen surrounding Nornagest are still actively touring the globe and will undoubtedly continue to do so to promote the new record.
The central theme of this album is one of death, but also of rebirth. For this, they even enlisted Gilles de Laval. What has emerged is a profoundly gripping piece of ritualistic black metal that is an essential addition to any serious collection. The band began its journey back in 1993 in the greater Namur region, and has seen quite a lot over the years and decades—not least the tragic loss of drummer Cernunnos, who took his own life in 1997, the same year Towards the Skullthrone of Satan was born. Cold Black Suns (2019) marked their debut on the mighty Season of Mist, and this new release continues down that same powerful path. These men have never let anyone dictate their course, and they’ve walked their own road for years now—as it should be.
The three gentlemen recorded this latest offering by collaborating with a host of individuals who clearly know their way around a mixing console. Recording took place at Ophiussa Studio in London, with Stefano Santi of SPVN Studio in Milan handling the mixing. Mastering duties fell to Phil Bashford at The Hive, bringing us back to London once again. Why mention this? The production of the previous album didn’t entirely convince me.
The opening tones of this new record are a nauseating blend of subterranean sounds. Crawling Temples makes for a worthy introduction. You’re once again reacquainted with the grotesque yet masterfully delivered vocals of the last remaining member of the old guard, Nornagest. That said, he’s given a lot of space in the mix—perhaps too much, demanding more attention than warranted. The squealing guitar work of Polish guitarist T. Kaos is clearly meant to draw your ear to his contributions as well. Meanwhile, the Portuguese drummer Menthor has plenty to say on the matter himself—on Basilisk Triumphant, he expertly locks everything into place, a feat he repeats on Stillborn Lithany.
The music produced by this collective is rarely straightforward. By that, I mean there are frequent rhythm changes, Slayer-esque squealing solos flying past your ears, and Nornagest phrasings that cut effortlessly through everything. The title track is a good example of this approach. When they do seem to take a more direct route—like on Chrysalis—you get a true sense of just how brutal and malevolent their sound can be. Or is that overshadowed by the gunshots (or are they?) you hear in Ashen Advocacy?
This international collective calling itself Enthroned no longer needs anyone to teach them how to craft and deliver black metal. Their characteristically occult, ritualistic style of music has once again found an outlet on Ashspawn—and what an outlet it is.
Links: