Rhythm is king-I've never quite said that about a band before, but when ACHERONTAS's "Amenti (Catacomb Chants & Oneiric Visions)" surveyed my ears, this is one phrase I found myself repeating. On top of that, it explores a variable amount of elements and even invites a couple of guest musicians to enable such an ambitious effort. This is my first exposure to ACHERONTAS so I don't know the direction they've evolved from, but even so, I feel they're headed toward an interesting path and have lots to show us as time progresses in the inevitable future.

Henry Möller is primarily responsible for the ambience involved in the intro and outro. "Voluntas Supra Materiam "Vocatio Prima" is a dark Ambient piece. The best I can describe it is: Imagine an isolated cathedral in high altitudes with cold winds blowing and surrounding it. The winds grow fiercer and swifter as the music intensifies-accompanied with a prolonged downward key-pressed organ with golden steel pipes controlling the currents that sharpen the grasses' blades. To subdue the manifesting evil, a church choir intervenes. Its presence angers the spirits-and its influence slightly disperses, making the evil grow stronger with each anxious human heart beat. His second ambient piece is a bit complimenting actually and quite unexpected. It is a mix of both the distant past and the moderate days of music. It has a reminiscent feel of an 18^th century orchestra along with Möller's creative mind interlinked with Dark / mysterious ambient.

The ambience in-between the beginning and ending seal, is likely attributed to Fr. Kerval 111. This collaboration was probably born through "Vessels ov the Aetheric Void", a split release of NIHASA / THE RED ANGLE. They are projects of both Acherontas V. Priest and Fr. Kerval 111, respectively. His first impression on me was effective. However, since he helped with vocals, not sure which are his, since there are about three or four other vocalizations aside from the main shrieking vocalist. The vocals were plentiful, a handful which started to compile a little toward the obnoxious side. They are shared in respect to NILE's usage. In addition, there are also soft howls and whispers-and the most loathsome of all being spoken words with a transfixed deeper sound. Following along with what I introduced, Fr. Kerval 111 favors and admires Egyptian ambient music. He adds percussion to change the rhythm all in the right moods-twisting and challenging fate with suiting vocals with whoever claims ownership.

The guitarists and drummer, especially, kept everything in check with rhythmic perfection. Even mid-paced riffs were quite gravitational. The tremolo picking anchored melody near the heavens by having a higher than usual octave furnished in other Black Metal acts. Riffs were beautiful and drums had the long-lasting impact that ran rhythm for a home run. The fills and tempo were beyond anything you can imagine. Everything was in place where it needed to be. It took you to any grey areas existent between calm and dedicated. It was intensely filled with passion and more often than not melodious to the point of piercing the atmosphere that guards the Earth.

The rhythm is the best thing this album has. It was even capable of me bypassing the wrecking vocals that were too involved with "Amenti". Vocals were partly good and averagely mislaid. There was too much going on that transitioning often clashed into something vulgar. I'm more often than sure this new experience for both myself and the musicians at hand. I appreciate the experimental attempt but they were amiss in my opinion. The tremolo picking had a decent balance of the higher than usual octave I mentioned earlier. It is good since if misused-they are abhorrent, but fortunately, that was not the case here. If you have a long car drive ahead of you-pop in "Amenti" and let the rhythm drive you to your destination as you're pounded with rightly fitted drums and Egyptian percussion molded to balm absent-mindedness.