Review by Felix on April 10, 2021.

My expectations are always high whenever it comes to Swedish black metal. The musicians from this part of Scandinavia seem to have a special gene for the dark side of musicality and Myronath are typical representatives of their country. They are fishing in the waters of Dissection and Necrophobic and do definitely not lack musical competence. The similar approach is both blessing and curse. It illustrates that the band does not fall victim to a lack of ambitions, but it also brings to light that it is not easy for newcomers to piss with the big dogs of the scene.

Into The Qliphoth (Qliphoth are the representation of evil or impure spiritual forces in Jewish mysticism, the polar opposites of the holy Sefirot – at least if we can trust Wikipedia…) avoids major defects. The greatness of devilish grandeur characterises the album impressively and only a few sections like the lame ending of 'In The Shadow Of The Crown' with its somehow inadequately melodic solo lower the impact of the album. All songs reach a level between very solid and extremely good, but the genius of the aforementioned influencers remains untouched. This becomes clear with 'Hymn To Lucifer'. Myronath trade vehemence for atmosphere here and perform an almost languid piece that comes up with some sacral background choirs. A good number with a driving double bass, no question, but the absolute goosebump feeling is missing and unfortunately it happens again that the song fades out relatively dumbly.

Sweden is not only at the top of the movement in terms of musical class. The technical implementation is mostly flawless as well. Into The Qliphoth marks no exception. The production has found the balance between clarity and darkness. The guitars convey the feeling of black metal with a little affinity for death metal very well, the rhythm section does not fall by the wayside and the vocals are neither pushed to the edge nor too much in the foreground. Speaking of the lead vocals, one can expect the usual dose of demon-like vibrations. Thus, Myronath stay within the frame of their style every second. Some may say that’s boring, I appreciate this no-useless-experiments motto.

The band is going to release the second album called Djevelkraft in June 2021 and it will be interesting to see if the musicians could improve within their chosen niche. The promising debut gives reason to hope, in particular sinister eruptions like 'The Ancient Slumber' with its gloomy beginning that leads to a thrilling and dark melodic outburst. 'La Santa Muerte' is another highlight. It could be perfectly integrated on a Dark Funeral full-length and surprises with a hovering keyboard melody at the end. Finally, the closer impresses with its black density and its alarming sirens. With these songs Myronath prove evidence that they can design tracks with an immaculate flow and a proper dose of evilness. Maybe they are a really good band and I just have to manage my expectations concerning Swedish black metal.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10