Since Death Metal arose in the 80s, the main themes of the style's lyrics were or Satanism or something linked to the world of terror. With POSSESSED, the satanic lyrics entered the style (to them, was just a choice, to speak about it instead of flowers, as stated in an old interview on a mag on 1986-87), but the true Death Metal father, DEATH, brought terror, with something from masters like Lucio Fulci, John Carpenter and others on the lyrics. But some bands brought the horror from H. P. Lovecraft into the whole thing, and it became the main theme for some. To speak about Cthulhu and the Ancient Ones on Lovecraftian works became a great tendency, but only a few know how to deal with it properly. And we can say that the German trio SULPHUR AEON knows a lot about it on "Gates to the Antisphere", their new album.

The brutal and well worked Death Metal that they create is the perfect music to put these horror themes on. Their work is brutal, oppressive, sometimes as fast as you can think of, and sometimes slower and climatic as a funeral, with some darkened melodies giving a special taste here and there. But don't get the wrong idea: they know how to use a refined (but brutal) technique on their songs, and this makes this album perfect. Harsh and good grunts (not as guttural in low tunes as we could expect from a Death Metal band), excellent and perfect guitar riffs, a heavy and technical rhythmic kitchen (the technique of the drummer is something really astonishing!), and with some keyboards giving a darkened and morbid atmosphere (all of them played by Sascha Schiemann, a special guest). So the invocations to the Ancient Ones can be done perfectly with this album.

The sound quality is perfect for the album. If you're into Death Metal, of course you'll know how the balance between clarity and weight must be. And they reached it perfectly, so we can get the best of their work a first hearing.

These German Titans from Netherworld created a masterpiece of aggression and brutality, with perfect songs like "Devotion to the Cosmic Chaos" (full of rhythmic variations and excellent riffs), the oppressive and bitter ones "Calls from Bellow" (a slower song, with very good vocals that fill all the spaces with very good grunts) and "Abysshex", and the well worked "Seventy Steps" (this drummer is not from this world. Maybe he came from R'lyeh...). But wait a minute: we couldn't finish this review without speaking about the greatest song from the album, "Diluvial Ascension - Gateway to the Antisphere", a song that mere words could not describe its beauty and perfection. Just hear it and you'll understand what I mean.

Flawless victory, and Ph'nglui Mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh Wgah'nagl Fhtagn!