Årxøytt - Sunder

The first thing I noticed about this album was the production quality, which I very much enjoyed to say the least. I feel with this kind of experimental music, sound quality is crucial to make an album stand out in this particular way. It's not “over-polished” but still gives you a very clear sounding listen.

I’m a massive fan of how this project incorporates different approaches to songwriting. The songs change straight on a whim. Take track 2 for instance: it starts off with a very nice synth bass note in the background which then goes into some very “light” (what sounds to be) piano keys. Then all of a sudden, with no warning, you are slapped straight into the classic black metal blast beats with a really deep groaning tone underneath which, in my humble opinion, REALLY helped give this segment on the track some real “oomph”. Just on the topic of track 2, I’d like to point out that the two bass guitar notes that happen are also really cool and again help give it a distinct character.

This album is host to some very defined vocals. I personally loved the whispering vocals which you can find throughout the album. For me, it’s these small details which make an album stand out, so as a first time listener to this project I can safely say that I will now be keeping a close eye on any future releases.

The song titled “Demiurgo” hit the nail on the head for my personal music tastes. It has a very dark and closed-in atmosphere and it’s tracks like this where you can fully immerse yourself into the soundscape. I like to close my eyes and let my brain paint vivid pictures… if the music is right that is. Now this track is host to my favourite moment on the E.P. It occurs at the 2:11 mark.
The spoken guest vocals of “Ag Lirt” come in, for me creating images of someone speaking through an intercom of some sort, all the while a glassy guitar chord progression takes shape underneath a, simply put, soothing/uplifting bassline which is actually very prominent and very easy to hear unlike a lot of bands trying to nail the style. I loved how this short section, beautiful as it was, soon goes back to the experimental black metal style before fading out in a way which makes tracks 3 and 4 sound as one.

The track Tide was absolutely magnificent. I’m a deep lover of ambient soundscapes. In fact I'd go as far as saying I enjoy these kinds of tracks just as much as the “actual music”. Projects like Midnight Odyssey, Esoctrilihum and Sickle of Dust to name a few are all host to vast ambient tracks just like this. Some of my absolute favourites out there, and I can now safely say that this project is one I will be very sure to introduce to people who share the same kind of love for it as I do.

Now the last track is what really solidified this E.P as being very impressive. You, the reader, might laugh at this but for me personally I found that the opening minute of this track very much reminded me of some of the songs you can find in the game Halo: Combat Evolved. In fact, I instantly sent the timestamp and track over to my best friend Kieran, who is utterly obsessed with Halo (as am I), and he completely agreed with the comparison and also thought the song was very good. But going forward from that point, this closing track is one that I feel is the perfect moment to end the E.P. It truly felt like an album/EP closer. It had a lovely tempo and lots of layers which you can hear going on in each ear.

So let's talk a little bit about the physical aesthetics for Årxøytt. I am a firm believer that creating a “persona” in this style of music is absolutely crucial. Black metal and the surrounding close-knit subgenres have a very cool look about them and I think it’s fair to say that to stand out in this day and age you have to have a physical aesthetic that listeners can recognise. Årxøytt has a super cool looking take on what is normally categorized as “corpse paint” etc. The long robes, paint etc all work so well together and very much intrigued me from the get-go, before I even heard the music. These interactions are what ultimately make people click your music, so as I said, I think it’s so important for the musician/artist to have a persona. A very interesting and grand take on this. Well done!

You know, it’s really such a pleasure to have music like this submitted for reviews. As a growing black metal media outlet, I really do get quite a lot of material sent my way from various different record labels, PRs and projects, but I try my best to be as fair as possible and do as much as I can for small projects like this one. You often find that the smaller bands or solo acts genuinely have so much more to offer, and that is absolutely the case with Årxøytt.

Every track had a very distinct character and none of the tracks were “samey”. Each passing moment had something new to offer, and the whole way through the E.P felt refreshing.

I’d happily score this album an 8.5/10 for all of the above. With a little refinement, Årxøytt is sure to create even greater music in the future. Regardless, I’ll be looking forward to any new material. Maybe once the new split album is out and when I have free time I could get Årxøytt for an exclusive interview.

Thanks to anyone reading this review and I hope you enjoyed this E.P as much as I did.
– Bran / Blackenedsoundscape