Today, I’m going to take a step back in time to talk about one of the most impactful albums on my 2024 list. It’s the album Death Is Absent by the Finnish black metal duo Aethyrick. Long before this album, the band had already begun to make their mark on the scene with albums such as Gnosis, released in 2018, and Pilgrimage, released in 2022, which I consider to be among the top five releases of that year (but that’s another topic I’ll cover in the future). The five album of the band Death Is Absent was released in digital, CD and vinyl formats via the label End All Life Productions.
Through the tracks on Death Is Absent, this Finnish band presents us a black metal sound that is intensely atmospheric, and this is evident from the very first second of the opening track.The songs are lengthy, and the band presents us with complex compositions featuring tempo changes and more melancholic, slower moments, as heard on The Fire That Sires the Sun from 6:56 onwards. Keyboards are heavily featured, helping to create the emotional depth that characterises the album. Other epic moments enrich the composition, such as on The Hands of Fate from 6:19 onwards. What’s more, the mix brings the vocals and bass to the fore, creating a sense of heavy sonic density. The production is modern, yet remains firmly rooted in Finnish black metal, drawing direct inspiration from the Nordic wave of the 1990s.
The guitars have a sound that is both raw and melodic. Throughout the album, they sound sharp and, at various points, create a hypnotic effect. I think the best example of what I’m describing can be heard on tracks such as Empyrean Silver and Only Junipers Grow on My Grave. On some tracks, the guitars are more rhythmic than on others, but Midwinter Masks is the track that really stands out in this regard. The drums don’t just keep time; they make their presence felt through more technical passages and very fast, violent blast beats. I think the best drum performances can be found on tracks such as The Fire That Sires the Sun and Beyond All Death.
The vocals are high-pitched and strident from start to finish. At times, hellish screams take over, adding intensity to the dense atmosphere. The vocal performance reaches its peak on tracks such as Beyond All Death and The Hands of Fate. There is a real richness to the vocals, even if at times they do feel somewhat monotonous. I must also say that, at various points, the vocals exude an aura of despair and rejection.
Among the moments and tracks I enjoyed the most is the section from 4:85 onwards on the track The Fire That Sires the Sun, which takes on a melancholic tone with shrill vocals followed by an avalanche of blast beats. I enjoyed the track Beyond All Death for its songwriting and the relentless vocal performance. Then there’s The Hands of Fate, the longest track on the album. What I liked about it was its structure, which shifts between fast-paced sections with sharp guitars and quieter, more atmospheric moments.
Death Is Absent is an outstanding black metal album in which the Finnish duo Aethyrick present a concept album (The central theme deals with death as an inevitability for the flesh, but denies that it has any authority over the eternal spirit) that strikes a perfect balance between atmospheric and melancholic beauty, blended with the raw, melodic aggression characteristic of black metal. The result perfectly balances an old-school approach with a more modern take on the genre. I also feel that the band has achieved a certain maturity in the way they structure their compositions.Go listen and tell me what do you think about it.
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