Review by Felix on August 26, 2024.

Does anybody know exactly where the border runs between melodic and genuine black metal? The guys of Aeba seem to be wanderers between these two worlds. They are not afraid of offering desperate melody lines that are accompanied by a cautious rhythm section. But they do also not eschew extreme sections which deliver a radical and fast-paced approach. "The Angel of Genocide", for instance, combines both ultra rabid and significantly softer elements skilfully. In addition, this piece does not lack of substance, inter alia due to the slightly harmonious guitar solo and the well accentuated synthesizers. In view of the large number of tempo changes, the song does not show any tedious parts. Instead, it offers an appropriate amount of more or less surprising twists and turns. Consequently this track explains the essence of Aeba´s art in a very good way.

The album shines with a dense and mighty sound. Everything is well balanced. For example, the throaty growling and the infamous nagging of the vocalists are neither dominating nor sidelined. Due to the powerful appearance of the songs, they create an atmosphere of inevitable devastation. The dark horde from the north of Germany knows the quintessence of black metal and the band members are able to implement this knowledge in a more than solid manner.

When subtracting the dramatic intro and a short keyboard interlude, the songs have an average length of significantly more than six minutes. It would have been no mistake to shorten one or two pieces. They lack a bit of directness and accuracy. Thus, these tunes appear slightly overcomplicated so that they cannot keep up with the remaining tracks. Of course, it is not easy to manage complexity and to match your own ambitions. But in general, the musicians construct the songs carefully. The best tune of the album is called "As Wolf Among Sheep". It impresses with its steadily growing intensity and the gloomy melodies as well. The fragile keyboard line collides with the harsh malevolence of the vocals and the vehemence of the other instruments - and the result sounds simply fantastic. But songs such as the furious "Storm of Vengeance" are almost on a par with the aforementioned highlight. In any case, the Germans cannot be blamed for delivering useless fillers so that it is a matter of personal preference which track you like most.

If you want to look for the fly in the ointment, I have to admit that the album lacks a tiny bit of completely outstanding moments and of utterly brilliant parts, apart from "As Wolf Among Sheeps", of course. Some of the songs are okay without forcing you to press the repeat button. The band uses the normal tools of the genre in order to impress the listener. During these tunes, really unique ideas do not show up. Nevertheless, the indisputable high quality of the entire album cannot be denied. From this perspective, it is a pity that Aeba has split up. But if you like to work as a black metal archaeologist from time to time, you should try to dig out "Shemhamforash - Des Hasses Antlitz". It will be worth the effort.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10