Review by Jack on February 14, 2005.

Arkheth are an unfortunate case, creating music in the wrong era and at the wrong time. Hymns of a Howling Wind is exactly what you would expect from a read through the track listing and lyrics: cold and grim black metal. The sort Arkheth play rose to prominence in the mid-to-late 1990’s, in a scene which saw Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Old Man’s Child and Borknagar turn heads.

Seven years earlier and Hymns of a Howling Wind may have been a landmark record for Australian black metal, and quite possibly black metal the world over. However, we’re in 2004 and Arkheth are unfortunately dishing up a record that is too predictable – the bleak atmospheres, the gritty production (which does work well), the clichéd black metal rasp, etc. It’s your basic black metal album.

For all their predictability, Arkheth are a talented outfit. One knows what he’s going to get with Hymns of a Howling Wind, so if you’re the kind of person who lives and breathes the sort of shit that Old Man’s Child and Emperor used to serve up, then look no further, Arkheth do it well.

Hymns is certainly a mixed bag; on one hand, we have a record that is too familiar for those of us who are well-versed in metal lore, but on the other hand, Arkheth have made a sturdy black metal record.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7
Originality: 4
Overall: 6

Rating: 5 out of 10