It wasn’t easy to start a Death Metal band after 1992, because the Second Wave popularity peak was on 1991, when some classics of the genre were already released, and name of the pioneers were in evidence. Besides it’s a very bad habit, it was hard to some fans to leave acts as MORBID ANGEL, ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, PUNGENT STENCH, DEICIDE, OBITUARY and others aside for a while to deal with new names (obviously such thing has no sense, but they’re in this way). Maybe this is the reason that made the Finnish trio AUGUST MOON to cease its activities on 1994 (just one year after its beginning and after some Demos). But something happened and they’re back, now releasing its first full-length: “Something Eldritch and Macabre”.

It’s usual an old saying: ‘you can’t teach new lessons to an old monkey’, and the band plays a form of Technical Death Metal that is plenty of influences of Old School Death Metal and some nuances of Melodic Death Metal in some eerie parts. But pay attention: such words don’t mean that the trio is a copy of anyone, but they do things according with the will of the band’s members, so it depicts a personality beating on their songs, with excellent rhythmic shifts and fine technical appeal, along with a massive energy. What are you waiting for? The production of “Something Eldritch and Macabre” is something that resembles the old days of Old School Death Metal genres on the 90s (mainly due the instrumental tunes used on the recordings), but with some updates to make things understandable. It means that they sound clean and defined, but distorted and aggressive at the same time.

On the songs: it’s hard to not pay respect to what is delivered by the trio on songs as “In the Gallery of All Things Macabre” (very good technical appeal, but the guitar riffs and arrangements are amazing due the contrasts between aggressive moments and introspective parts), “Exitus” (even with its strong classic Death Metal outfit, the technique of the band is heard on the rhythmic shifts, so bass guitar and drums are doing great here), “As Cataclysms Swept Across the Cities”, “Journey to the Other-Worldly Realms and Beyond” (wow, what great melodies and instrumental arrangements), “Summoning of the Feathered Serpent” (where some NWOBHM traces can be heard on the harmonies, and what very good contrasts between growls and screams), “Constellations Dislodged from the Night Sky”, “Oannes - He Who Emerged from the Sea”, “Something Eldritch Up in the Heavens Soon to Wreak Havoc Down on Earth” (wow, the rhythmic transitions and excellent melodies can astonish any Death Metal fan), and “The Vulture Stone (Pillar 43 to Commemorate the Apocalypse)”, for they seems to be matured in the due time, and on the trio’s hands they are filled with life.

Maybe “Something Eldritch and Macabre” can be said as a ‘late’ album; but as good music never gets old, AUGUST MOON obviously has its place in the Metal scene.