It was tough gathering any kind of information on this band from France, ESOCTRILIHUM, a one-man Black Metal project presenting their debut release "Mystic Echo from a Funeral Dimension." From their Facebook page, they describe the project as "ESOCTRILIHUM plays unholy music inspired by chaotic visions of an unknown dimension." The album contains seven tracks, at lengths between three and nine minutes, with most on the longer side. "Ancient Ceremony from Astral Land" begins with hushed guitar tones and some background ambiance, depressive and melancholy. Soon enough an intense Black Metal barrage is hurled at you, with a thick and meaty sound, and traditional echoed screams. In the back drop is some programming that provides ambiance and is just there enough to notice. They drift as a bright spots among the dark sound, like the white shadow of an angel that is unaffected by the scenes of horror and death all around her.

"Following the Mystical Light of the Shadow Forest (Final Path to Death)" is murky and imposing from the start, building a convincing and fearless sound like a machine rolling over the charred remains of humankind, pulverizing what little is left. To call his sound frightening does not do it justice. It is harrowing and reprehensible. However, a sweet interlude around the half way mark does provide a little relief, before blasphemy returns with low vocal utterances that seem to come from the pit of Hell itself. The short "Prayers of the Lamented Souls" is more of a transitional piece, with a riff that chews up two bars of 4/4 in a repeated fashion for effect. "Infernus Spiritas" is a nine minute opus that is like a tornado that absorbs everything in its path, mixing it all together in a slurry inside the vortex. Sometimes venomous and other times subtle, it reflects a very personal sense of songwriting. It is still very black at its core overall though.

"Shtalosoth" is a word that I could find no immediate definition for. It sounds like the name of a knight of Hell or a high ranking demon. If not, then it should be. It has a chilling and distressing sound, from thunderous drumming and steady riffing, complete with some more of that great background ambiance that has served the album well. The run to the end of the track is a bit of a hypnotic trance. "BltQb (Black Collapse)" opens with a maddening fury, and then segues into a malevolent sound in a slow passage where you would swear the whispered vocals are subliminal messages. Just when you think the evil can't be more pronounces, this track reminds you that it will always be able to surpass the light of hope. "Mighty Darkness" is the closer. An eerie guitar riff combines with machine gun blast beats to open, with vigorous vocals. An ambient passage of echoed clean guitars is present as well, and some riff shifting brings in some variation that is needed in a longer song. The sound is downtrodden and sinful, something that not even holy water could cleanse.

Asthaghul has really composed an enjoyable Black Metal release that, while rooted firmly in the traditional aspects of the genre, has enough modern and personal touches to really reflect a strong sense of compositional skills, and an album that is downright frightening to listen to, yet has melodic and ambient touches as well. It's a very diverse outing that I believe will appeal to all fans of this vast genre.