CoC : Arkhon Infaustus - Filth Catalyst : Review

Arkhon Infaustus - _Filth Catalyst_
(Osmose Productions, 2003)
by: Adam Lineker (4 out of 10)

As soon I picked this up off of the pile I knew what I was in for, simply because I have seen this record dozens of times over. The hybrid demon cyborg naked woman glared up from the front cover, glazed over in devilish red and black and surrounded by evil, uninspired fontage. The message was clear: abandon hope all ye who listen. Seeping out of the speakers in a mess of thuds, _Filth Catalyst_ is a fine example of mindless death metal slush. The waspish, underpowered production completely buries the vocals into the mix, and the useless whispering that Arkhon Infaustus have deemed essential to their message doesn't help proceedings. I'm sure the lyrics are nice and blasphemous, but that failed to convincingly carry music a long time ago. Arkhon Infaustus do come across as suitably malevolent, creating riffs that are vaguely menacing in tone, so there is a semblance of atmosphere amid the hissing racket. Yet even the better riffs are blended into each other and the few notable melodic figures are squashed. At best _Filth Catalyst_ hits us with some coherent breaks; at worst, it bogs down into a mire of repetitive, generic tosh. Nothing has any real impact, although it feels like Arkhon Infaustus are trying in earnest to create some urgency. For their efforts they manage to create a resemblance of enthusiastic aggression but no real dynamism. Each motif is monotonously beaten to death in the 4by4 trap; _Filth Catalyst_ is the work of yet another band that are too happy to come up with a riff in the 4/4 time signature, repeat it four times over, and then start the process over again with a new figure. Arkhon Infaustus really need to learn that each riff they commit to tape is an important one, and to cease relying on sounding darker than some other bands that play this music. They will undoubtedly get along with the support of a cult audience that care little for invention and look for nothing more than a nasty vibe. Good for them. Personally, _Filth Catalyst_ has added nothing to my life that scores of similar bands haven't already vexed me with. Come and get it people, this is like, really evil scene-metal.

(article published 9/11/2003)

CHATS
12/4/2002	A Bromley	Arkhon Infaustus: Satanic Waste

ALBUMS
16/2/2008	A Marouchos	8.5	Arkhon Infaustus - Orthodoxyn

GIGS
31/12/2004	J Smit	Deicide / Arkhon Infaustus / Ted Maul	Glen - You Are Forgiven