Album Review: Atheos – Words Of Eroding Worlds (Niflhel Records)

Music drawn from Ireland’s haunted wetlands, clawing its way up through the mud of centuries into the muted light of a mist-shrouded dawn. The sound of a world forgotten, of myths and monsters sealed in peat, gods and beasts cut from the heart of the earth. Atheos present the ancient death metal of Words Of Eroding Worlds.

Seven years have passed since Atheos’ debut album, The Human Burden was released, but they have not been idle in that time. The band have signed with the exciting new label, Niflhel Records, who will release their tome of secrets and horrors on October 27th 2020.

The rumble of anticipation, the build towards an immense flare-up of horror-laden death metal is palatable. It doesn’t take long at all for Atheos to turn up, dripping with filthy bog-water and oozing evil darkness, within Morte Sumus.

It’s a masterful approach to death metal, undoubtably heavy and un-quenching in its brutality but it’s not the ‘be all and end all’ of their sound. The first major clue being how Become Dust, Colossus slips into grind territory early on before upping the technicality later before dropping the tempo significantly in the latter portion of the track. It’s a barnburner of a listen.

Creating atmosphere with the cold melody intro of Embers Obscure the Sun, it then transforms into something that has a doomy and crawling maggot-ridden feel to it. A track to leave you squirming and uncomfortable even when the guitars speed things up.

It’s a continuation of that authoritative, grimy and slower death metal with The Parchminer and Deus Vult Illud. Where the riffs are weighted in solid steel, sinking into the mire. The guttural vocals are hellish and horrible with the added touch of ‘blocked up drain’ sound to them. Complimented by drumming and bass that adds a thick and brawny undercurrent.

A non-stop beating that feels so ancient, Ruins Monarch is more of the same in the most positive way possible. There’s no getting sick of this level of ferociousness even when it’s another titanic offering in the crushing form of Smashing the Antler Throne. The slowed down melodious bits, arguably the most threatening moment so far.

It’s long. Very long but impossibly, it doesn’t feel it. The end reached with the nauseating rasps of The Hollow Stone, followed by the lumbering beastly horror that is Oceans and Flames. The cold dark of Atheos has consumed everything and what stands tall at the end has the strength to continue onwards into the universe.

Atheos – Words of Eroding Worlds Full Track Listing:

1. Morte Sumus
2. Become Dust, Colossus
3. Embers Obscure The Sun
4. The Parchminer
5. Deus Vult Illud
6. Ruins Monarch
7. Smashing the Antler Throne
8. The Hollow Stone
9. Oceans and Flame

Links

Facebook | Niflhel Records