HELLVETRON, a vile black metal group out of Texas, return with their new full-length album "Trident of Tartarean Gateways". If you are looking for evil and vile sounding black metal, look no further than HELLVETRON. From the track listing itself, you know that you are going to be taken on a journey of ceremonial black metal. With the opening track, "I. Opening - Queen of the Void", there was a sudden dread I felt listening to the music. It felt like I was being dragged to my doom. The creative choice to make the music sound a little bit quiet and far away just adds that extra element of ambiance. The deep gutter vocals hit you right in the chest, the same as the high-pitch harrowing vocals come in and cut like a knife. I would say I wish there was more of a differentiating the instrumentation with the vocals going on, but I suppose that's the point. The theme of the entire album had me reeling.

"II. Initiation - Lustful Witchcraft" even brings in, what I can only discern as a woman in trouble. While listening I just fell as though I began to be covered by black goo that I could not escape from. The atmospheric element of this album is just pure evil. I was hoping to hear a sort of different tempo style, but it all stayed relatively the same. "III. Blessing - Anointed Under a Burning Throne" brings in a faster tempo, but quickly falls back into the kind of dizzying dissonance that exists in the entirety of the album. I can appreciate all the atmospheric elements that exist in the album that bring that extra depth of creepiness. The organ playing and demon-like voices in the beginning of "IV. Evocation - King of Thaumiel" adds that extra layer of evil ambiance. I wish I could hear a lot more depth to the musicianship of the album but having to listen this closely is a problem for me. The organ is best thing about this album for me.

I found myself taken back by "V. Prayer - Draconian Witchblood". The organ piece had me completely hooked in. The tempo of the track showcases a faster element that isn't present in the rest of the album. I can appreciate this album for what it is trying to convey, but musically it is lacking for me. I can honestly say I was completely creeped out while listening to this album, and if that was the point, HELLVETRON nailed it. What the album has going for it, is the pure evil sound. I know there is a market for this style of black metal, but I honestly don't sit in that market.