Achathras – A Darkness of the Ancient Past
Achathras – A Darkness of the Ancient Past
Cult Never Dies
30/09/2025
Review by Metalphysicist
8/10
Achathras is a Black Metal band formed by anonymous musicians who are members from long-running and acclaimed Black Metal bands. According to the press release: “Achathras are a new project celebrating the early to late-90s European Black Metal sound”.
Achathra’s debut album, “A Darkness of the Ancient Past”, is a good album, flattering with orchestral elements that make the band sound far from de 2nd Wave of Norwegian Black Metal, even though Black Metal is the main force during “A Darkness of the Ancient”.
Die-hard Black Metal fans may probably turn their faces to Achathras, because the band disobey the Baphomet Horde’s musical standards related to such bands as Immortal, Burzum, Mayhem, Darkthrone, among tons of other bands that play songs loud, raw, and full of anguish against the Church of Christ.
The funny thing is that Black Metal is committed to pure chaos and despises Catholics, Protestants, and their culture to create a common place where everybody accepts the reign of God (their God) as the one that is going to guide their souls to the gates of Heaven. Those religions pray dogmas under the Holy Bible interpretation, on a Fundamentalist approach.
I guess that being an Antifundamentalist should be the message behind the Black Metal musical and lyrical concepts. But, as far as this musical style conquered compulsive fans that fully worship Black Metal bands and musicians, these hordes became as fundamentalist as the dogmas of the churches they fight against. I mean, there are many conventions that the Black Metal bands must follow, which have turned the genre, at the end of the day, into a fundamentalist’s haven.
Now, let me get back to my opinion on “A Darkness of the Ancient Past”. The album sounded to me pretty much like what Dimmu Borgir in terms of the usual Orchestral insertions on the songs, especially on ‘The Weaving of the Worlds’, ‘The Despiser Triumphant’ and ‘Melancholy Wanderer’, which work as interludes to foreshadow the Black-Metal-like songs, enhancing the power of the traditional chaotic blast beats and guitar layers all over our faces.
On ‘Anointed With Moonfire’ Achathras plays a cadenced piece of Black Metal music which delivers what Black Metal’s Hordes used to worship, and that is a hell of a good song. ‘The Despiser Triumphant’ is a brilliant Orchestral Black Metal song, maybe the highlight of the album, although I think that the production should be more careful to prevent the instruments and orchestral passages from sounding too tangled in the mix mastering.
Well, as my ears are already taught to allow different spices in my Black Metal band catalogue, “A Darkness of the Ancient Past” sounded pretty good to me, most of the time. But maybe 3 orchestral interludes (which were afford-mentioned) I’d say is too many, considering what would really work well when listening to “A Darkness of the Ancient Past” as a whole.
At least, “A Darkness of the Ancient Past” doesn’t sound like another fundamentalist Black Metal band that has lost its own identity by trying to sound like the bands that those musicians worship. After all, we are not a bunch of lambs born and raised to repeat all the same dogmatic patterns, to pave our way to Hell…
TRACK LISTING:
01. The Weaving of the Worlds
02. Anointed With Moonfire
03. A Cerement of Flame
04. Emanation of Chaos
05. Melancholy Wanderer
06. The Curse of Supremacy
07. The Despiser Triumphant
08. A Lamenting Presence
09. The Uttermost Cold
LINKS:
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