Opus Aethereum
Ethereal

As the year starts, Ol' Big Daddy here discovers a diamond, a precious jewel in Metal form!
Yes, when I heard for the first time the excellent UK quintet ETHEREAL, I got myself hooked and astonished. Their first album, "Opus Aethereum" is really a strong candidate for the title of "best album of the year" or the "greatest revelation," or even both!
They play a form of Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal very particular of them, using melodies in a very brutal and darkened way, but far away from some great names of the style. It's a way that combined with their main style and some elements from Death Metal and Doom Metal. It's extremely difficult to describe what they do in detail, but it's a mix of vocals that uses both guttural and high pitch tunes, excellent and catching riffs (and some melodic solos, a thing that is not so usual on Black Metal), a strong and thundering rhythmic basis (with very good technique), and some very good keyboards. It sounds darkened, elegant, heavy, aggressive, progressive, oppressive, technical, whatever the Hell you want to name it, but it's something new extracted from the old formulas; and it's excellent!
The sound quality is on a very good level, clear and heavy, making their music understandable. The way the band's music deserves and demands, with very good tunes used on each musical instrument.
But Big Daddy here must be extremely honest: it's another case of a CD that you can't pick out a better song.
No, "Opus Aethereum" is a perfect album, and you can feel that they did a lot of very hard work to create powerful and unique musical work, having very good and aggressive moments on "Nomicon" (the riffs are something perfect here, along with very good vocals and keyboards touches). "Overwrite the Archetype" (the bass and drums presence and technique is fantastic here), is more melodic and well worked moments on "Psalm of the Deceiver," and it's more climatic and oppressive as we can hear on "Aethereum". Therefore, the album is a fine collection of perfect songs.
They are a name to remark as a promise, and another one that with the right chances given to them and with their personal efforts in the right way, can become a pillar into Black Metal, even on extreme Metal as a whole.
Hear and bang you heads, and hear it loud!
10 / 10
Masterpiece

"Opus Aethereum" Track-listing:
1. Nomicon
2. Overwrite the Archetype
3. Unholy Ungodly
4. Psalm of the Deceiver
5. Devouring the Forsaken
6. Contorted Utopia
7. Aethereum
8. Waking Death
Ethereal Lineup:
Naut - Vocals
Iyaan - Rhythm guitars
M-Inanz - Lead guitars
Volf - Bass
Mordrath - Drums
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