THE GREAT OLD ONES «Al Azif» Digipak

As the name implies, The Great Old Ones is surrounded in dark, atmospheric mystery much like the Lovecraftian myths that are associated with them. Usually depicted as great, lumbering beasts of darkness, this French debut swirls up the perfect dark, dissonant harrowing mix of Black and Dark Metal for a twisted listen that is both terrifying and beautiful. Right from the opening "Al Azif" things instantly feel like a mix of Xasthur and Dodecahedron; the tremolo picking is fast, brutal and mixed with the drums with a high level of distortion that shrouds everything in ambiance and the vocals are a distant, yet tortured howl. While the music can get a bit repetitive, the entire arrangement of how the instruments layer upon each other for a darker tone certainly gives off an Atmospheric Doom aura that will entrance listeners rather than bore them. Other tracks like "Jonas" creep up on listeners and take things at a much slower, chugging pace that is a bit more simplistic, but the quieter guitar tones allow the vocals to be heard a lot easier. Here the band somewhat loses their shroud of mystique by quieting the sound down a bit but it still invokes the sensations that Atmospheric Black Metal would along the lines of a band like Benighted In Sodom.

'Al Azif' also has its quiet moments too, opting for more beauty than just beastly chugging or fast paced riffs shrouded in distortion. "Rue d'Auseil" has a much more classical feel to it as it changes gears for a much quieter, yet effective approach. Giving off more of a progressive, single picked guitar motion backed by what sounds like cello, the track works its way through for a bit before going back to the more chaotic, dissonant electrified chords with the snarling vocals. "The Truth" has a heavier bass sound- almost Rock n' Jazz based except for the vocals- and trudges along in a Doom pace. Here however the vocals have the most difficulty of being heard as they are shoved all the way in the background. Finally the nine minute epic of "My Love..." converges Atmospheric Black with Doom and just carries on and on for a hypnotic finale complete with acoustic moments and slow, heavy plodding passages that shows the best of what The Great Old Ones can do. This full debut will ensnare and devour anyone who dares listen to it, but it is a sweet experience in the darker side of where legends meet Metal.