Review by Kostas on June 21, 2023.

Aherusia seemed to be a special project from the very start. Folk metal was not really a big thing in Greece back in 2009. However, these guys decided to create something different and innovative. And this was a mix of classic hellenic blck metal with traditional greek musical influences. This combination may at first listen seem weird to many. But trust me, after a few listens, ''And The Tides Shall Reveal The Traces'' shall reveal its magic badass side.

The album starts with a melodic introduction which slowly builds up untill the first aggressive black metal elements appear. From as early as ''Birth of Immortals'', it is obvious that in this record mixing, mastering and in general sound quality are not going to be the best. However, this is in fact not a significant downside, because of how the atmosphere and dark melodies match this rather poor production. The aforementioned melodies are catchy and clever. They mostly reminded me of the first Rotting Christ albums, which is definitely a great characteristic of ''And The Tides Shall Reveal The Traces''. At least for my taste. The guitar rifts, drumming, vocals... Everything seems to bear an ancient power which makes this music supreme and beautiful. It is a pity that sometimes it gets a bit repetitive and uninspired.

But still, even if Aherusia recycled themselves a few times in this album and even if some songs could be a bit shorter in order not to get tiring, there is one thing which saved them from their amateur mistakes. A musical instrument that took their music to the next level and helped build up a melancholic, epic and even haunting atmosphere. And this is no other than the traditional cretan lira. It is amazing how this folk instrument matches black metal. To be honest, not only does it match but it soon becomes one with the dark vibe and gives both the album and the band a separate identity in the chaos of the unknown black metal underground. In addition, Voreas Faethon has done a great work both with his lyrics and voice, making this record gain depth and essence not only for metalheads, but also for poets, philosophers and in general anyone who likes their music with interesting and thought provoking lyrical themes.

To sum up, this is for sure a great album, with incredible musical compositions and ideas. Its main advantage is the unparalleled dark yet powerful atmosphere, which makes ''And The Tides Shall Reveal The Traces'' sound poetic, sinister and maybe even romantic at some points. If only several songs were a bit shorter and there were less repetitions, this would be an absolute masterpiece of the greek scene and would definitely get over 90% from me.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10