GURTHANG – Martyrium

The delightfully brooding and utterly compelling act known as Gurthang rarely fails to disappoint this scribe, and it just so happens that Martyrium is their most accomplished and impressive musical feat to date.

Thoroughly drenched in a thick and impenetrably dark atmosphere that swallows you whole, these five addictive compositions merge somber black metal with bone-chilling doom metal, and it works so well on so many levels and flows like a cohesive tapestry of haunting riffs and ideas that are akin to a spell. If you want hidden depths and layers in music, then this full-length opus definitely ought to be added to your list of tightly executed works to check out.

The production is rather appealing too in that there is warmth and definition to this richly layered slice of pitch-black madness without it losing any of its raw edge, and there is no faulting the quality of the musicianship either. In addition, the artwork that adorns the output is darkly intriguing and complements the music splendidly, and the booklet is undoubtedly worth studying in more detail as the lyrics are superbly written and thought-provoking.

Gurthang are eight albums into their career and there is obviously a lot of mileage left in the creative tank as evidenced by the sheer power, potency, and frightening vigor of Martyrium. One of the year’s most gripping aural assaults to these ears. Stunning, really.