31 Oct 2021

EP review: Aempyrean - Fireborn (2018)

 

Aempyrean - Fireborn

India

Cyclopean Eye Productions

Aempyrean joins the ranks as one of India's better extreme metal acts with this pretty solid debut EP titled "Fireborn". Four tracks packed to the brim with odes to hell and old-school black/death/thrash can be heard on this release. The band unleashes a barrage of throat-cutting riffs, frantic solos, feral vocals and pounding thrash beats. The atmosphere is permeated with a rather rancid stench, with a sound reminiscent of early Morbid Angel, Possessed, Destroyer 666 and the like. There's no doubt as to the prominence of the musicians, as the music bombards the listener with a series of pungent riffs and solos that drill right through your fucking skull. In other words, riffs are in abundance. The production is suitably raw, giving this EP a profoundly menacing feel. The cover version of Morbid Angel’s "Chapel of Ghouls" is a nice surprise and quite well done, doing justice to the original. "Fireborn" is a must for fans of killer Black/Death. Especially if you're one of those maniacs with a penchant for discovering obscure bands from the hellish depths of the underground. Aempyrean delivers. For fans of: Weapon, Bestial Mockery, Communion. (HT)