Review by David on May 8, 2014.

The words "Blackened Death Metal" evoke a Pavlovian response in your humble author; two genres that should combine to ferocious and brutal effect but usually end up a laboured and non-committal broth. The conditioned reaction? Intense yawning. Step forward Empyrean Throne...

Offering up this debut EP, the Californian six-piece take cues from the death metal spectrum for the majority of their palette whilst the blackened element comes in more subtle hues applied around the edges; thus making "Blackened Death" an appropriate stylistic tag. There are hints at the thrashier end of melodic death, with some rhythmic synchronicity perhaps indebted to modern deathcore. The finished work is remarkably refreshing to take in, there’s something vibrant and energetic about the meshing of styles and the execution is convincing and relentless.

Witness the opener Death March; its tightly regimented drumming and guitar work snapping away, with a haunting cello dirge providing a lament over the focused assault. There is something vaguely Kataklysmic about the style of the music; it’s tightly delivered with an emphasis on the snap of the snare, there’s a technicality that is kept firmly reined to the purpose of aggression, and there are fine grooves in amongst feral blasting. Not a reference for the purists perhaps, but there are also slight echoes of Cradle of Filth tonally, especially in the closer Follow The Plaguelord which carries the blackest feel of the EP, with a gothic piano backing that wouldn’t sound out of place on Dusk and Her Embrace; even vocally the track bears some resemblance to England’s out of favour sons. Speaking of vocals, the varied approach tops things off nicely; whilst not earth shatteringly original it adds that little dynamic emphasis which adds to the finer detail of the completed work, even if the raspy "You are nothing but vermin!" ("Nothing but Vermin") is liable to ruin the listener’s self-esteem after repeated listens.

With each listen the word "refreshing" springs to mind; it is thoroughly enjoyable to hear something from a band that manages to shape its origins into a form that is both energising and maximises punch. Perhaps the brevity of the release aids in that concentrated feel of the attack, but nevertheless this is an enjoyable first strike.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Fernando on July 19, 2019.

Naas Alcameth of Nightbringer fame is one of the most prolific artists of American black metal and on 2019 AD he has unleashed his most recent project Aoratos.

Those familiar with Alcameth’s work know that he has always excelled at creating an overwhelming and engrossing sound in a variety of ways while using black metal as a foundation and that unique musicianship is also present albeit in its most unique form yet. For starters Gods Without Name is drastically different from the elaborate and opulent musical compositions that Alcameth did for his other projects, in here it’s a much more straightforward and streamlined style of black metal but with no less ambition or focus and what he created here is his darkest and most punishing music yet. As I mentioned before while the compositions are more streamlined this actually works for the music’s advantage. Instead of grand dark symphonies that Alcameth created in the past, for Gods Without Name there’s pure and raw black metal combined with tinges of dark ambient music and it creates a very menacing sound meant to evoke the feeling of being lost in a dark forest and due to the more streamlined approach the albums has a focus and sense of consistency that oftentimes gets lost in Alcameth’s other projects which are more experimental.

That being said, this album is not devoid of experimentation or innovation, the aforementioned tinges of dark ambient are what give the album a palpable sense of darkness and grimness that’s punctuated by aggressive performances; all the instruments here work in perfect unison, there isn’t a particular standout because all the performances (mostly handled by Alcameth) are excellent and focused. Alcameth’s vocals are supported by the guest work of Nox Corvus who previously worked with the former in several of his projects and Chthonia, and while Alcameth is on the lead he carries the album with his unique brand of frostbitten shrieks and growls which the additional vocals contribute in creating a very demonic and primal sound to carry on the music.

The final aspect is how the album flows and the compositions of the songs. In many ways this album follows a rise and descend pattern and momentum is the name of the game here. The use of atmosphere is paramount in opening each track, building its momentum which then bursts into a deluge of blast beats, brutal riffs and wolfish vocals. The first half of the album is where this is better exemplified. The opening track “Parallax Pt. 1” is pure dark ambient with the distorted guitars and keyboard in the background creating a somber atmosphere which then leads into the second track “Holy Mother of Terror” which is unrelenting from beginning to end and this continues for the rest of the tracks. More impressively the dark ambient sounds are fully incorporated into the more aggressive tracks effortlessly, the use of keyboards, faint choirs and even noise complement the main instruments and the final result is an overwhelming and merciless symphony of chaos. The final three tracks are what close the album in a fantastic way, after giving you a taste of sinister black metal, the last third of the album is pure dark ambient where the tinges of black metal are used in the background. The album ends with an extended dirge of dread, the song “Dread Spirit of the Place” is the opulent last full track of the album and in here is where the mixing of black metal and dark ambient is fully realized to its full potential, with tribal drums and a crawling which then explode in pure black metal goodness. In conclusion the album excels in having a chaotic yet controlled flow, where it uses the dark ambient influences and black metal to their full potential. Finally, the album has an excellent production quality, black metal is often praised for a gritty production but for this album, the polished production is what gives it the extra layer of shin for everything to sound exactly as it needs to. 

Overall Naas Alcameth has succeeded in creating a new and unique band with its own style and voice and like I said at the beginning this is also his darkest yet. It’s an expertly composed album that succeeds in creating a sinister sound, it’s also a must listen and a top contender for album of the year.

Best tracks: "Of Harvest", "Scythe and Sickle Moon", "Thresher", "Dread Spirit of the Place"

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Fernando on July 19, 2019.

Naas Alcameth of Nightbringer fame is one of the most prolific artists of American black metal and on 2019 AD he has unleashed his most recent project Aoratos.

Those familiar with Alcameth’s work know that he has always excelled at creating an overwhelming and engrossing sound in a variety of ways while using black metal as a foundation and that unique musicianship is also present albeit in its most unique form yet. For starters Gods Without Name is drastically different from the elaborate and opulent musical compositions that Alcameth did for his other projects, in here it’s a much more straightforward and streamlined style of black metal but with no less ambition or focus and what he created here is his darkest and most punishing music yet. As I mentioned before while the compositions are more streamlined this actually works for the music’s advantage. Instead of grand dark symphonies that Alcameth created in the past, for Gods Without Name there’s pure and raw black metal combined with tinges of dark ambient music and it creates a very menacing sound meant to evoke the feeling of being lost in a dark forest and due to the more streamlined approach the albums has a focus and sense of consistency that oftentimes gets lost in Alcameth’s other projects which are more experimental.

That being said, this album is not devoid of experimentation or innovation, the aforementioned tinges of dark ambient are what give the album a palpable sense of darkness and grimness that’s punctuated by aggressive performances; all the instruments here work in perfect unison, there isn’t a particular standout because all the performances (mostly handled by Alcameth) are excellent and focused. Alcameth’s vocals are supported by the guest work of Nox Corvus who previously worked with the former in several of his projects and Chthonia, and while Alcameth is on the lead he carries the album with his unique brand of frostbitten shrieks and growls which the additional vocals contribute in creating a very demonic and primal sound to carry on the music.

The final aspect is how the album flows and the compositions of the songs. In many ways this album follows a rise and descend pattern and momentum is the name of the game here. The use of atmosphere is paramount in opening each track, building its momentum which then bursts into a deluge of blast beats, brutal riffs and wolfish vocals. The first half of the album is where this is better exemplified. The opening track “Parallax Pt. 1” is pure dark ambient with the distorted guitars and keyboard in the background creating a somber atmosphere which then leads into the second track “Holy Mother of Terror” which is unrelenting from beginning to end and this continues for the rest of the tracks. More impressively the dark ambient sounds are fully incorporated into the more aggressive tracks effortlessly, the use of keyboards, faint choirs and even noise complement the main instruments and the final result is an overwhelming and merciless symphony of chaos. The final three tracks are what close the album in a fantastic way, after giving you a taste of sinister black metal, the last third of the album is pure dark ambient where the tinges of black metal are used in the background. The album ends with an extended dirge of dread, the song “Dread Spirit of the Place” is the opulent last full track of the album and in here is where the mixing of black metal and dark ambient is fully realized to its full potential, with tribal drums and a crawling which then explode in pure black metal goodness. In conclusion the album excels in having a chaotic yet controlled flow, where it uses the dark ambient influences and black metal to their full potential. Finally, the album has an excellent production quality, black metal is often praised for a gritty production but for this album, the polished production is what gives it the extra layer of shin for everything to sound exactly as it needs to. 

Overall Naas Alcameth has succeeded in creating a new and unique band with its own style and voice and like I said at the beginning this is also his darkest yet. It’s an expertly composed album that succeeds in creating a sinister sound, it’s also a must listen and a top contender for album of the year.

Best tracks: "Of Harvest", "Scythe and Sickle Moon", "Thresher", "Dread Spirit of the Place"

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Jack on February 22, 2002.

I love Arcturus and more to the point I love Garm (Trickster G., and any other variety of names one can come up with for the façade that is Arcturus and the Deception Circus). “La Masquerade Infernale” was and is a fantastic release from Arcturus that could never be pigeon-holed, but which some preferred to coin to the phrase of ‘phantom-of-the-opera-avant-garde-theatrical-metal’ or something similar. It was an album that turned people’s perceptions of what metal should be around and around. In place of the keyboard symphonies were mechanised string and acoustic sections that added drama and intrigue to an already mind-blowing album. “Disguised Masters” is the remix version of “La Masquerade Infernale” and it is in its own right an extraordinary piece of art from Garm and co.

On the back of the CD, next to the track listing is a little disclaimer from Arcturus that reads: “This is not the new Arcturus album. It is a collection of oddities conceived in the period after “La Masquerade Infernale”... This is a product of musical disjunction. General dementia required.” That is a perfect summary of what “Disguised Masters” is all about.

There was an original outcry from some of the more ‘pure’ in thoughts over “Disguised Masters” when it was released. Screams in agony over Garm rapping and the techno/dance club atmosphere that “Disguised Masters” invoked had many a metal purist screaming for retribution from the metal police. Haha. One of the reasons I enjoy “Disguised Masters” as much as I do, is exactly for that reason; it forces people to think and perceive music outside the square they reside in.

“Disguised Masters” is an overly complex work and takes tracks from “La Masquerade Infernale”, strips them down to their bare minimum and completely reworks them towards some weird take that Arcturus has determined. ‘Alone’ for example was considered by some Arcturus fans to be the best track on “La Masquerade Infernale”; ‘Alone’ circa 1999 is a new oddity in weirdness that has totally been revamped under a ‘Intellecto/Valle Darktrip’ remix which is essence makes ‘Alone’ more of an ambient track. No vocals here folks. The opening track to “La Masquerade Infernale”; ‘Master of Disguise’, has been given the once over via the ‘Phantom FX with ganstafications by S.C.N.’ (if you thought ganstafications implied gangster Homey G. rap style then you are dead on the money), rap is the main point of impact with ‘Master of Disguise’ now. ‘Painting My Horror’ has been transformed through the ‘G. Wolf levitation mix’ and would be a nice track to warm down to at a rave. Also nice for keeping up to speed on your French.

The general mad cap genius displayed by Arcturus on “La Masquerade Infernal” is readily prevalent on “Disguised Masters”, just in a more contemporary fashion, more ‘street/urban style’. I reckon it is phenomenal and utterly awesome. But then again, it will not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Bottom Line: Weird and wacky “Disguised Masters” will not appeal to everyone. However, if you are the sort of fellow, who likes to experience the weird and wacky then give this baby a spin.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.3
Atmosphere: 8.2
Production: 9.4
Originality: 9.5
Overall: 8.7

Rating: 9 out of 10