Blazemth – Gehenna
Band: Blazemth
Title: Gehenna
Label: Negra Nit Distro
Release date: December 23th, 2024
Country: Spain
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording
Blazemth is one of those iconic bands because it was founded when Black Metal started brewing in my country, and after two EPs in 1995 and 1996 they disappeared (the reason, I don’t know). They came back into the Metal scene after twenty years, and as if time had frozen, they released “The Return of Lucifer” in 2022 and now, with “Gehenna”, they reaffirm their blasphemous, authentic and infernal Black Metal.
With Volkhaar as the only remaining (and founding) member from the original line up, these are the musicians playing in “Gehenna”:
-Volkhaar: vocals, guitars
-Shunh Oath: guitars
-Franklin: bass
-Ricky Mena: drums
When the intro starts, you are immediately dragged to a state of alert, because of the unsettling aspect of it. You are waiting for something evil to happen. And then, “To the Valley” starts with all the artillery, taking no prisoners. Can’t start in a more brutal way! The relentless drumming with blast beats and the bass drum kicking hard, the sick riff living rent free in your head since the first second, the harsh scream, and the background harmonies… damn, if you are not already into it you are made of stone! This song is like a steamroller, it destroys you relentlessly and you can only be craving for more. The sinister synths that are played here and there will freeze the blood in your veins, if the icy guitar riffs haven’t done it already.
With this bestial declaration of intent, you can only expect the entire album to be hellish. And it is. The atmosphere is sinister, the guitar tone is cold, the bass has a very predominant role (it could not be other way, it makes the sound deeper and more vibrant), vocals are raspy and evil enough to summon an army of demons, drums are constantly delivering a great repertoire of beats, kicks, smashed cymbals in the greatest possible way… Ah and there’s also place for some kick ass guitar solos, what else can you ask for?
I love how some tracks start with an almost “innocent” (Swedish style) slow tempo, and after a while all the fury and blasphemous sound are unleashed. “We All Die Guilty” and “Into the Crypt of Yggdrasyl” are perfect examples of this, this second track presenting some highly melodic lines and a kind of ritualistic sound.
Special mention to “I am Fire, I am Death”, a devastating track of blackened thrash (again, don’t get fooled by the quiet intro), where everything sounds a tad dirty: the down tuned riffs, the evil vocals, the pulse of the bass, and the guitar solo that melts your brain. What a bestial track…
And the way this album ends… “Nifelheim” is the longest song, with a dark and saddening sound. Niflheim (Old Norse Niflheimr, “Home of the Mist”), in Norse mythology, is the realm of darkness and gloom, and with this definition you can get an idea of the music. This long track is mostly an instrumental piece, where guitars sound majestic, highly melodic, and the icy wind that blows is freezing the listener’s blood, along with the agonic whispered vocals in the final part of the song, when all the instruments have disappeared… I feel myself dragged to the abyss and surrounded by total darkness the last two minutes of this album, and it’s a great sensation indeed.
What a brilliant Black Metal album before the year ends! 9,5/10 by Sílvia
9,5/10 Epic Storm
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