THRONE OF KATARSIS

Calling THRONE OF KATARSIS progressive black metal does not quite accurately describe the music on "An Eternal Dark Horizon" (but it's close),as the description makes one think more of a band like VEHEMENTOR NOS. We can certainly call it dynamic black metal though, and not because it is stuffed with symphonic elements or pretentious, non-traditional instrumentation. The rip factor is pronounced, led by biting guitar work and plenty of speed with the occasional acoustic guitar added in a way that still sounds iniqitous. What we have here is 55 minutes, but only five tracks, of interestingly arranged and entertaining black metal that keeps one foot firmly planted on the old school side of the line.

The arrangements on "An Eternal Dark Horizon" are anything but predictable. Using "Funeral Moonlight" as a representative sample, the ingredients include several tempo changes, gnarly guitar playing (and tone),including a variety of cool licks (one guitar line in particular is rather Eastern sounding),classical acoustic picking, big 'n slow riffs, and creepy clean picking. Like the rest of the songs, there is a lot going on here. Luckily, things never get too bogged down in excess, regardless of the epic track lengths.

Vocally, Grimnisse (who plays all instruments, except for drums, which are played by Vardalv) delivers in a croaky and basically intelligible style. Occasionally, he changes into a kind of low register chant (e.g. "Symbols of Winter" and "Under Guds Hud" on which he also screams his guts out). The style may not be totally unique, but it is a welcome change from the typical screeching and works in the context of the songs.

There is quite a bit to like on "An Eternal Dark Horizon". The feeling (grimness) and the sound (raw, but professionally produced) are satisfactorily conveyed. The arrangements are adventurous and almost always effective. One could argue that the evil ones go a bit overboard arrangement-wise, but the pacing and flow reveal no serious flaws. The short of it is that "An Eternal Dark Horizon" is a robust black metal album from a duo that does not like to play it safe.