Before heading into the music and the review, I'm going to say this, I'm going in blind with this band and their music, ULTHAR, is new to me - and this review is going to be hard to ink due to "Helionomicon" is the second half of one's journey- simultaneously there is a part one to this - "Helionomicon" has a twin/tandem release "Anthronomicon." "Helionomicon" and "Anthronomicon" were both released back-to-back (tandem) this year on February 17th. Even the artwork is like twins. Both paintings make up one-big artwork piece, so the artwork will hit you before the music does.

As soon as the listener presses that play button, where one is welcome to a release that is divided into two parts (part one) "Helionomicon" and (part two) "Anthronomicon" -Simultaneously unlike its twin, "Anthronomicon", which has a conventional eight-track structure, is of approximately twenty minutes each.

One opens the album with a twenty-minute composition, a cosmos vortex work of Lovecraftian journey, and a musical spectrum of sweeping (avant-garde) black and death metal (hint of doom metal), allowing the band to explore their versatility and creative scope further. At the same time, it also provides the listener with powerful, transfixing, entertaining, full-life and energetic music and songs from the moment of pressing that play button where the listener will encounter both pieces are not much difference in sound, identity, mood while utilises various tones, tempos, atmosphere, aggression, complex/technically which is all delivered by craftsmanship and musicianship providing guitar work consisting of impeccable and intricate/technical passages/riffs and tremolo picking, various drum strikes, fills and beats, demonic vocals to add to that horror-cosmos atmosphere.

One thing is for sure "Helionomicon" is an offering that requires a certain level of commitment from the listener, but if they are willing to give what is needed, they will find a thing of true beauty. Both tracks gradually unfold as they progress, with rich textures and tones washing over the listener and indeed draw the listener into his musical spectrum -a thinking out-of-the-box music "a forbidden fruit of avant-garde music" -where each song, the songwriting and music is composed and arranged with perfection - where one will find that each various composition/characteristics of the instrumental and vocal work are convenient to place at the right moment - which is all provided and delivered (mention before) by outstanding, compelling, and astonishing craftsmanship, musicianship and showmanship. In contrast, the production in sound quality is top-notch in quality perfection.

"Helionomicon," in my opinion, is a complex release you get your head around, but with a clear mind, it's one hell of a Lovecraftian journey not to be missed!<