Artist: Average Misanthropy / Eternal Ice
Country: Japan
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Split
Year: 2025
As part of the latest run of Eternal Ice releases, is this digitally released split with Average Misanthropy, a fellow Black Metal act from Japan. Although this one-man act has been around for a good couple of years, I had never heard of it before. And honestly, if I had, I doubt whether I would’ve checked them out because of the rather awkward band name. I mean, what does “average misanthropy” even mean? Just a bit misanthropic?
But, fair is fair, the music of Average Misanthropy is better than I expected. Especially the first part of its contribution to this split is not bad at all. And, yep, it does live up to its name, it is misanthropic, I just have no idea whether this is an average level of it. But anyway, it is Raw Black Metal combined with the bleak aesthetics of Funeral Doom, making these four tracks a rather sombre affair. Listening randomly through Average Misanthropy’s discography, one can conclude that these four songs do not differ greatly from what Kyohei normally produces. It is Black Metal of a fairly traditional style, based on the foundations of what was common in the 90s. However, it is the heavy organs/keyboards that create the atmosphere and, in particular, the tormented vocals that make for somewhat discomforting listening. Consequently it feels a bit like a head-on collision of any random Raw Black Metal of some twenty-five years ago with the intriguing mystique of Abysmal Grief. The latter part of what the band presents, however, is much slower and almost feels like a different band. The thing that ties together both “sides”, if you will, are the heavy use of keyboards, making the last minutes more akin to Pantheïst and Skepticism than to the first part of this set of songs.
Eternal Ice, on the other hand, is no surprise at all. Having reviewed virtually everything these Japanese musicians have done to date, it is fair to conclude that these four new tracks are entirely consistent with the band’s earlier work. It is still all about harsh Black Metal with very prominent vocals that is based on traditional Black Metal values. Riffs and melodies intertwine into a powerful whirlwind that evokes an atmosphere that stands strong even without keyboards. Or perhaps it is precisely the absence of keyboards that gives it such a strong underground vibe. Yet, this set of songs is the most “different” from the usual Eternal Ice-formula, towards the end there is an interesting break and a mid-paced part that is surprisingly melodic, almost in a rock kind of way. Fans of the band and simple but effective Black Metal should definitely consider giving this a try.
