The renowned black/death metal combo that is Aeternus, which hails from Bergen, Norway, has returned and blessed us with a new and delightfully morbid curse entitled "Heathen" consisting of seven foul spells that are as impressive and well-written as they are atmospheric. Main man Ares has always had a certain way of crafting riffs and melodies with a dark and twisted mood to them and this time around is no different as "Heathen" boasts some truly memorable and textured pieces that are way up there with the very best of them.

The musicianship is utterly solid and the raw and gritty production is incredibly powerful yet organic and vibrant too. In many ways, Aeternus sound hugely confident on this record and I just love the way in which all the different parts and sections flow together seamlessly. The massive "The Sword of Retribution" and the pummeling "The Significance of Iblis" are bone-crunching epics with a unique melodic fair to them as well as a rather murky and claustrophobic feel. The slithering "How Opaque the Disguise of the Adversary" is another stellar cut – simply superb stuff.

"Heathen" is packed with strong song material and compelling vocals. On top of that, it hardly ever loses momentum. Trust me when I say that this is one of the most engaging and interesting records by Aeternus to date. Regardless of whether you are into Morbid Angel and Rotting Christ or bombastic black metal with strong melodic qualities to it, you owe it to yourself to check this magnificent album out.

 

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