Artist: Acherontas (Αχεροντας)
Country: Greece
Label: III Damnation Productions / Zazen Sounds
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2025
There was a time that Greek Black Metal band Acherontas had gained some momentum; more or less at the second half of the 10’s, the band released a good couple of very solid albums and high-profile split LP’s through W.T.C. Productions. But it is hard to deny that when the band left Agonia Records after the release of 2020’s ‘Psychic Death “The Shattering Of Perceptions”’ things started to have a different flow. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the decision to leave Agonia Records was the ultimate turning point, it was more like the sum of things. In addition to signing to Zazen Sounds, the band changed their name to the Greek spelling which makes it harder for non-Greeks to spell and search for them and, not in the least, the music took on a way more smooth and slick character.
The in 2022 released ‘Malocchio - The Seven Tongues Of Δαημων’-album was by no means a bad record, yet it definitely was an album that required a bit more effort. The more Heavy Metal-based sort of song writing already started to surface earlier, but it was with their 2022 record that it really started to take a more prominent role. But with that also came a more clean production. Filing off the roughest edges of their trademark albums from about a decade ago took some time adjusting to. ‘Νekyia – The Necromantic Patterns’, the band’s latest effort takes things another step forward in the chosen direction.
The creativity that typified the last album is again very much present, especially on such tracks as ‘Venomous Ascension (The Nexus Of The Void)’ in which the band combines folkish percussions with smooth sounding Heavy Metal leads and thick layers of melody. That’s not to say the band doesn’t occasionally push the gas pedal hard, but it’s clear that the emphasis is much more on the accessible song material. That means that Acherontas or Αχέροντας indefinitely landed in a new era, both musically and aesthetically. As far as I was able to find out, the lyrical and conceptual content hasn’t changed all that much, but with taking on a more clean and smooth sounding production the band sounds nothing like they did when they released such great albums like ‘Vamachara’ (2011) ‘Amenti – Ψαλμοί αίματος και αστρικά οράματα’ (2015) or especially ‘Amarta अमर्त (Formulas of Reptilian Unification Part II)’ (2017).
This newest piece of work also needs repeated listening, but because of its more slick approach of the Black Metal genre, things aren’t sticking at the same level as some of the aforementioned albums. Yet, it is undeniable that ‘Νekyia – The Necromantic Patterns’, just like its predecessor, is pushing the boundaries in terms of creativity and the band’s initial sound palette. That means Acherontas is still very much a band that’s progressing and developing, it is just a question whether they are taking a direction that suits your personal preferences. One thing is quite evident though, with all the transformations, the band unfortunately did lose their momentum.
