Album Review: The Great Old Ones – Kadath (Season of Mist)

‘Kadath’ is the latest chapter of the Lovecraftian atmospheric black metal band The Great Old Ones. It marks a bold departure from the oceanic depths of the Cthulhu mythos, venturing instead into the Dreamlands. The album captures the surreal journey of Randolph Carter as he treads amidst the capricious gods and monstrous entities that dwell within this twilight realm. The new album will be released on January 24th, 2025, via Season of Mist.

It was a song, but not the song of any voice.

For an hour (even longer if you pick up an edition that includes the bonus track) The Great Old Ones walk a path few would dare to navigate and do the impossible task of immersing the listener far beyond the written word of H.P. Lovecraft. While this album details the journey of Randolph Carter within the Dreamlands, it feels more expansive and more detailed than ever. It is as though The Great Old Ones have found a way to tap into the mysterious alternative dimension, making its limitless vacua almost comprehensible.

I say ‘almost’ because The Dreamlands is impossible to grasp, and what we actually have here is The Great Old Ones interpretation of it. The exploration of fear, the unknown, and the power of dreams. Yet, it feels bigger and more ‘tapped in’ than anything else. They are far from the first band to explore The Dreamlands and Lovecraftian themes in general, but there have been few who both embody the concepts and create their own at the same time.

Aeons reeled, universes died and were born again, stars became nebulae and nebulae became stars.

The journey to Kadath is one thing, but around that is a tale like no other, and only when the dream ends, will the listener be able to fully take it in. Each track stands alone as a gargantuan piece of music and takes on a myriad of forms. At its core, this album can be summed up as black metal, but it is heavy on atmosphere and comes from a cinematic place that is borderline dramatic. The Great Old Ones aren’t just about pummelling the senses with unrelenting speed and heaviness (even if they’re very good at it), that just happens to be a style that fits the horror and fantasy of the Lovecraftian universe and one that the band expertly employs.

Does it all get a bit too much at times though? Absolutely. There’s no ignoring the fact that the album is an investment and will need multiple listens to fully connect with. The question is if The Great Old Ones have made it so that most will want to give it the time and energy it needs. The answer is a resounding yes. With the black metal caveat, which means you have to a love for this particular style of metal to get all you can out of it.

There’s nothing quite like this, at least from an extensive standpoint, and it really does stand out as a definite example of how to interpret Lovecraft and use the inspirations to create something unique.

But the day will come when our shadows will ring from tremor-tortured ears such things as we guess only in dreams.

The Great Old Ones – Kadath Track Listing:

1. Me, the Dreamer
2. Those from Ulthar
3. In the Mouth of Madness
4. Under the Sign of Koth
5. The Gathering
6. Leng
7. Astral Void (End of the Dream)
8. Second Rendez-Vous (Bonus Track Box & Vinyl)

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