Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Chaosborne is the debut album by Aethernum, a band whose members are spread across northern and southern Italy, released via the Chinese label Pest Productions. The band offers well-composed and thoughtful melodic black Metal, characterized by a deep atmosphere that balances slow and fast sections. This is supported by continuous guitar licks and a very present vocal, perfectly integrated into the musical fabric.
There are also more relaxed and almost carefree moments, as demonstrated by the guitar solo on the opening track, "Emptiness." From the second track, "Burning Labyrinth", the guitarist's enormous work is evident, with solos and licks always at the forefront—perhaps even too much so. The blast beats are excellent: aggressive and atmospheric, they temporarily set aside the more melodic components to give the sound that touch of violence typical of the genre.
The syncopated opening of "Into Oblivion" is interesting and original, with almost progressive Black Metal overtones, a technique that recurs midway through the song. "Man-eater" is probably the most accessible and melodic track, with nuances that at times even recall pop metal. Another noteworthy piece is the closing "Ode to the Darkness": here the band pushes the aggression and finds its best form, perfectly balancing melody and sonic impact.
All in all, it's an enjoyable album with a good mix, enhanced by the drummer's good performance (with consistently clean playing) and an expressive and well-calibrated vocal performance. Compositionally, one can perceive heterogeneous influences, ranging from melodic Death Metal to Shoegaze and Post-Metal. However, a slightly homogeneous song structure risks making the listen a bit repetitive over time.
A strong debut for Aethernum, who only need to establish an even more personal identity, breaking away from the influences and clichés already widely explored in the current Metal scene.
S.A.M.A.
