From Bandcamp, “With three albums and two EPs to their name, FIRTAN's discography showcases a clear and audible progression. In September 2024, they will unveil their fourth album, “Ethos,” through AOP Records. A work that promises to be their deepest, rawest, and heaviest yet. “Ethos” delves into serious existential themes in an abstract manner, contrasting decline and opportunity within an ambivalent context. This juxtaposition is reflected in the music itself, confronting listeners with the harshness and sonic tension between harmony and dissonance, revealing the meaning and emptiness of existence.”

The album has nine songs, and “Hrenga” is first. The opening sequence is actually quite pretty, although melancholy. When the vocals come in, the full weight of the sound hits you, and it’s like a metric ton of bricks. From that point forward, the sound is dark and contentious, though not without melodic moments. “Zores” roars out of the gate with pure aggression, and it doesn’t let up. Hopeless tones combine with tones of anger, and atmospheric elements mingle in the background, creating a complex feeling for the listener. “Contra Vermes” is shorter, but every bit as intense. Through three songs now, you can really feel the band’s strong musicianship and complexities of the songwriting, yet the music is primal.

“Arkanum” proves that just when you think that things can’t get heavier, or harder, this song shows that they band has an expansive reach. The slow moving pace allows the sound to really sink in and grind out. “Wermut hoch am Firmament” slams the door to any hope of escape that you might have from the torture dungeons, and the vocals roar with the strength of the lion who leads the pride. “Ruakh” is the first song that gives the listener a few moments to catch his breath, but you only get a few, and the torturous rush floods straight ahead like a runaway landslide. This song is the very meaning of darkness. “Wenn sich mir einst alle Ringe schließen” closes the album. The melancholy violin notes carry the sound into a coffin, and into the ground, to be buried until someone unearths them.

This album is a visceral journey into the depths of despair, an exploration that resonates with cavernous soundscapes and primal aggression. The tortured screams that echo throughout feel like cries from the abyss, each one pulling you deeper into the dark undercurrents of the music. The songwriting is intricate, weaving deep webs of melody and dissonance. This is an album that doesn’t just play—it engulfs, overwhelms, and leaves you feeling as though you’ve experienced something raw and profoundly unsettling.