CoC : Ageless Oblivion - Penthos : Review

Ageless Oblivion - _Penthos_
(Siege of Amida, 2014)
by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10)

Recorded at the UK's Skyhammer (Conan, Bast) but mixed and mastered at Hertz in Poland, _Penthos_ finds a beautiful balance between expansive roars and brutal hammering. If the very term "tech death" fills you with dread these days, take heart. Eschewing the soulless meanderings of so many modern metal mainstays, Ageless Oblivion are all about atmosphere and emotion first, brutality and technicality appearing as by-products of their efforts at heartfelt expression. Recalling the glory days of Akercocke with the coiled tension of its blasts and creeping horror of its many string bends, this Hampshire crew's second offering is lengthy at over an hour; but split up into the equivalent of a three-sided vinyl, it works brilliantly. From intense 12-minute centrepiece of "Where Wasps Now Nest" to the closing 16-minute, bipartite title track, this is the stuff of nightmares made flesh.

Contact: http://www.facebook.com/agelessoblivion

(article published 30/5/2014)