HALPHAS – The Infernal Path into Oblivion

The German black metal outfit Halphas has been rather productive these past few years and this seven-song spell of theirs came out late last year via Folter Records. Let us examine what they have in store for us, shall we?

Your correspondent was fond of the band’s previous output, more specifically “Dawn of a Crimson Empire”, and this recent 2019 opus of theirs is even better and more accomplished than that, so what could be better, really? The musicianship is highly competent and from a technical point of view, this is quite the impressive piece of work all around. More importantly, the riffs are strong and muscular, and this is perhaps where its greatest strength lies in the sense that there is an abundance of superb melodies and truly captivating riffs present on this disc with hardly any of them seeming superfluous or lackluster. The record possesses a strangely introspective vibe and feel too, which is superbly illustrated by some of the more epic tracks ala “Monument of Blood” and “Temple of Oak” in which there is vile drama and intensity aplenty. The acoustic “The Narrow Descent” is a rather beautiful piece but they should have placed that one halfway through the disc as it adds contrast to the rest of the song material and offers a moment of respite. When immersing oneself in the tracks while glancing at the album artwork and the evocative song titles, one is left with an impression of a deeply sinister and hate-fueled black metal record, which is exactly what this is, but there is a lot of texture and depth to the entire affair.

Blazing and blistering yet morose and suitably varied too in terms of pace at times, there is no need to be a limp dick and complain about lack of originality when the result is as competent, confident, and utterly satisfying as it is here. Simply put, this is bone-chilling music and “The Infernal Path into Oblivion” is consistently good from beginning to end and keeps its pitch-black momentum up all the way through. In short, if you are on the lookout for a quality black metal album soaked in a harsh nocturnal atmosphere, you cannot go wrong with this one. Recommended for sure.
 Album highlight: the ferocious and majestic “A Grave in the Sands”.

https://halphas.bandcamp.com/album/the-infernal-path-into-oblivion