Today, I get to share my thoughts on the Azaghal album Nekrohelios.
Before I begin, I'd like to quickly say that Azaghal are a band that I've been following since their album Nemesis came out in 2012. They were actually one of the first black metal bands that got me so deeply in love with this scene. I distinctly remember looking at the album cover for Nemesis back when I was a teenager and being awestruck by how cool the artwork was. Naturally, I dived in and tried the music, and to my surprise, it was some of the coolest stuff I'd heard at the time.
Before I found bands like Azaghal, I primarily listened to death metal, so to me, Azaghal are a core part of my musical evolution. I owe them quite a lot in terms of how this scene has reshaped my life and moved me towards a genre that I love so much.
After listening to Nekrohelios in full, I'm honestly not surprised by how good it is from beginning to end. I thought every track was spectacular, but for today's review, to keep things fresh and somewhat minimal, I'll be giving my thoughts on my top three tracks, along with my overall thoughts at the end.
Vihan Ruoska
This was a personal favourite of mine. The tempo and dark, oppressive sound won me over and solidified this track as one of the top contenders on the album. The riffs hit hard as fuck, the drums were super crushing, and the vocals kicked my teeth in.
I particularly liked the latter part of the track, starting at 2:40. The guitars change into a slower, but thick-as-you-like, chord progression that serves as a perfect transition into the final outburst of carnage that ends the track. Shout-out to the brilliant vocal delivery on this part.
Juuret
Some songs have the power to make you feel a certain way when you listen to them. For me, this track conjures a great sense of motivation and drive. I've spun this track a good few times just on its own, and it hits differently every time.
The guitar sections, even though they are dense and chaotic, create a super clean sound that just nails every aspect of why I love black metal so much. At 2:45, when the vocalist does the "fist-in-the-air" style vocals — "ayyy ayyy ayyy ayyy" — with that meaty, devilish guitar track going on underneath, it brings back that same dominant feeling that is a core reason why I listen to this music.
This part was incredible, and I've always enjoyed hearing Azaghal take this songwriting approach throughout the years.
Noitalasia
What can I even say that does justice to a track which sounds as good as this? I found the songwriting on this track to be some of the best on the album.
The use of acoustic guitars, which are played in a completely different style and genre to black metal, added an extra dose of diversity. I think that, when done correctly, this can bring out a lot of character in a band's style and their ability to convey their music effectively, which is certainly the case with Azaghal.
This track took many different turns and had some very cool quirks and surprises. What really made me like this track so much was probably the thick-as-fuck opening guitar, which, I might add, went down a treat with some of my friends who I introduced to this band recently.
Shout out moments.
There’s a really cool time signature change within the first minute of track 6 that had me press rewind in the best way. It adds a nice bit of variety to the track and makes the opening feel even more interesting.
The opening moments of track 10 were spectacular. The way it is conveyed brings a real sense of dread, and the songwriting on this part is genuinely amazing. It has a very avant-garde sound, especially with the little break-ups that lean more towards the "chunky" riff side. I also thought the use of the piano/organ was great, and the breakdown-ish segment that rounds off the track was just kick-ass — super downbeat and in your face.
Overall, Nekrohelios nailed its 9/10 rating. This is an album which keeps on giving with each listen. Pure energy from start to finish. Crazy guitar parts, intense blast beats with quirky fills, vocals which give off a truly feral and commanding presence, and an atmosphere that binds all of these aspects together perfectly.
As a huge fan of Azaghal, I want to say congratulations on how great this album turned out. Thanks to everyone involved that brought this album to life!
