"Amarta अमर्त (Formulas of Reptilian Unification Part II)" is the follow-up to the impressive "Ma-Ion (Formulas of Reptilian Unification)". ACHERONTAS strives to separate themselves from any posturing, "hipster black metal scene" (as Acherontas V. Priest has put it in the past), and carve out a path of deep sincerity, as well as devotion to their craft.

This feeling of sincerity came through clearly in the music for me, and it added a depth to "Amarta". I can't claim to know much about the occult and spiritual ideas in the lyrics, but I can still appreciate the sheer passion that went into creating this work of art. All the elements serve each other well; the swirling layers of riffs and spoken/chanted vocals add atmosphere, the drumming lends punch, along with the bass, while the keyboards round things off well. A beautiful classical guitar passage begins the album, and ends the album as well -  as the poet T.S. Eliot said, "to make an end is to make a beginning".

It's difficult for me to pick out favourite tracks for this album, because it feels as though all the elements are inextricably tied to the whole, and so the album should be appreciated as a whole. But I can say that a musical highlight is the well-conceinved variation in pacing both within and across songs. "Schism of Words" explodes into the listener's ears, with a powerful scream from Acherontas V. Priest. The riffs have that layered quality which reminds me of BURZUM, but that's where the similarity ends. Gionata Potenti produces drum fills which build things to fever pitch, and a chilling, moaning voice made me imagine an unfortunate soul descending to hell. "Savikalpa Samadhi" is initially a slower number, with its slithering intro. The gritty vocals contrast sharply with the delicate keyboards and clean choir parts. The song then switches to a fast pace, promptly shaking up anyone who was lulled into a false sense of security. ACHERONTAS is full of surprises, in the best possible way.

"Amarta अमर्त (Formulas of Reptilian Unification Part II)" is something profound. This is not some fleeting moment of anti-Christian posturing. When music with deep meaning is what you want, then turn your ears towards ACHERONTAS.