Review by Michael on April 22, 2021.

Czech band Sněť will release their debut album Mokvání V Okovech on May 14th via Blood Harvest. Since I don't speak Czech, I can only judge from the music that the album is not about love, flowers or cupcakes. Mokvání V Okovech is a pretty vicious death-doom bastard that mills through the listener's auditory canals in stretches of groovy mid-tempo parts and crawling rhythm passages. The sawing guitars, the wonderfully rumbling drums and the singer, who rattles his soul out of his body and sounds as if he had to leave this life immediately, let a wonderfully musty and morbid mood arise. Maybe it's time for spring cleaning in my dark, damp cave.

Particularly standout songs include 'Demon' (I can understand Czech after all!!!), which is a pretty fast song, but also has some cool mid-tempo elements and invites you to bang along. 'Folivor' is a somewhat slower track that waltzes through the speakers for just under 3 minutes and features some pretty vicious riffing and of course the pretty sick vocals. 'Sarkofag' (another word I understand!!!) starts with an almost thrash-esque opening riff, which soon turns into pretty classic death metal riffing and delivers very varied breaks. 'Vesmírná Saliva' is a kick-ass last song, which reminds me of Bolt Thrower when the tempo is slowed down, but otherwise also knows how to convince.

In my humble opinion, the band has managed to release a solid and convincing debut, especially because of the absolutely sick vocals. Apart from that, they sound very cool in Czech (with Master's Hammer, for example, it always sounds a bit strange, even if they also like...). If you like bands that play absolutely sick death metal (I'll mention Funebrarum, Funebre, Demigod, Incantation...) in particular, you should check out Sněť at least once. Apart from the music, the band also has a cool cover for their debut, I don't even have to mention the totally cool logo!

Rating: 9.3 out of 10

Review by Nekrist on June 28, 2025.

After almost two decades of listening to metal music in virtually all its forms and subgenres, from the most classic to the purely contemporary and dissonant, it can be challenging to find authentic and passionate artists with their musical and personal visions. Greece has always been a point of reference for me when it comes to black metal with personality and quality. The classic bands of that scene have proven this time and time again with extremely memorable albums that endure and stir nostalgia in many of us. That distinctive style and sound take us through wonderful landscapes that blend reality with myth in a perfect and synchronistic way.

Acherontas has always been one of my top bands when it comes to high-quality black metal with profound esoteric knowledge. I greatly admire and respect bands that use such themes in their lyrics in a serious and compelling way, and not as a simple, superficial "gimmick" that contributes absolutely nothing to the listener or their music. This year, Acherontas surprises with their new opus titled Νekyia - The Necromantic Patterns, an imposing and powerful name that immediately caught my attention, but will it live up to it? Let's find out!

Acherontas' music has always been strongly influenced by the ancient teachings of the Left-Hand Path (a path I myself strive to follow), managing to convey with conviction and seriousness all those secrets that lie in the subconscious of the psyche and beyond the tangible world, in the subtle planes of reality. Νekyia - The Necromantic Patterns is a glorious and triumphant return of this Greek band led by Mr. Nikolaos a.k.a. "V.P. Adept," accompanied by a talented group of musicians who are definitely at an enormous technical level.

The album contains seven masterfully composed songs, full of climaxes and with much more sonic variety than its predecessor, balancing the fastest, most aggressive and violent parts with very memorable melodic moments that resonate in the listener's mind, here the guitars present triumphant and bombastic riffs that fill with energy and power, an example of this is in the song titled 'Serpent's Oath - Hymns Of The Coiled Void' (one of the singles), in which harmony and chaos intertwine resulting in a huge wall of sound with many nuances and layers, this will be the common denominator throughout the album. The drums are one of the things I enjoyed most about the record, combining technicality and precision to generate an adrenaline rush that elevates the songs to another level. The voice of "V.P. "Adept" continues to be in exceptional form, with ferocious attacks that spit venom and hatred, and with enormous lyrical quality reflected in the performance. I can say that this is Nikolaos' best vocal performance (or at least my favorite) of his entire career.

The production is impeccable, allowing space for all the instruments and elements to breathe and be appreciated, revealing the great compositional quality behind this album. Acherontas definitely continues to prove that passion is the most powerful fuel they possess, and that the Black Flame continues to burn brighter than ever. A great album, and highly recommended for all fans of the sinister.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 25, 2025.

I freely admit that a band like Acherontas is not always on my radar. Thus, I was not really aware of the creativity of these musicians. But in the shadow of the groups I pay more attention to, the Greek's list of releases has grown longer and longer. It includes more points than the list of character, psychological and professional shortcomings of many colleagues in my company and that's saying something. Not to mention my own shortcomings! Anyway, here we have album number 10 in 18 years. No pain, no gain.

Nekyia – The Necromantic Patterns represents the black metal scene of Greece pretty well. Is it a stereotype, only my own perception or simply true that many sinister heroes from the sun-drenched country celebrate an approach with an above-average number of ritualistic, majestic and eerie elements? Acherontas do it this way and the result is very convincing. The secret of the album's success is the nearly perfect combination of its different building blocks. In addition to the previously mentioned components, the album also holds tragic, melancholic and, last but not least, absolutely furious and straight sections. It is not only the very direct and fast beginning of "Serpent's Oath – Hymns Of The Coiled Void" which definitely realigns the listener's hairstyle within seconds thanks to its whipping drum beats. The fanatic and intensive parts, obviously performed by musicians who are possessed by the devil, are doubtlessly great and necessary. But the full-length also reveals an enormous spiritual strength which is nearly omnipresent during the exciting 46 minutes. Some spoken words sections and a few female vocals, seemingly originating from outer dimensions, contribute to the wild and fascinating overall picture as well. I don't exaggerate when I say that the songs on Nekyia… form a sonic adventure. People who avoid roller coaster rides should be warned.

Despite the pure black metal flavour of the output, rather non-typical instruments are not forbidden. Maybe a piano is still more or less standard for the open-minded fans among us (are there any? Hopefully not), but I was really surprised that Carpathian Forest have sent their saxophone to Greece. It has its 50 seconds of fame at the beginning of "The Crimson Litany Of Eternal Return" (by the way, the song titles underline that the band's homeland has given the world immortal philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus or Plato. Not Pluto, this is someone else.) This intro sounds like a very early black metal track from the 20s of the last century, somehow weird, somehow cool, in any case terrifying. But I run the risk of painting the wrong picture. Nekyia… is dominated by breakneck outbursts, very successful mid-tempo parts, mostly harsh vocals and, above all, a great sense of melody and the interplay of the various elements. The album delivers impressions, twists and turns and moods in abundance. At times it is like running through an ancient city that is burning at every turn. But, if I'm not mistaken, that was Rome and not Athens. Not quite sure, even I wasn't already born in 64 AD. However, if it really was Rome, the picture doesn't quite fit perfectly with Acherontas.

Highlights? Well, the album as such and what else? If I have to name individual titles in addition to the, in my opinion, absolutely flawless, full-bodied, largely transparent but never soulless production, I end up, for example, with "Venomous Ascension – The Nexus Of The Void". It's a monument from the beginning to the end, but in particular its impulsive outbreak of natural forces, coming over the listener at 3:36, is absolutely irresistible. Another gem is called "The Elder Keybearer's Awakening". A fragile guitar line introduces the track, the commanding, powerful vocals set in and the intensity grows constantly. Acherontas act fervently and passionately as they celebrate another high speed part and yes, there can be no doubt: black metal is more than "only" a style. It is a form of spirituality which has turned into music and a kind of confession at the same time. Maybe it is even the loudest form of philosophy. At least "Truth Is A Pathless Land", the title of the last song, a hybrid between an outro and a regular number, speaks for itself. Or is this kind of expression simply in the blood of the Greeks thanks to their cultural heritage? Either way, Nekyia – The Necromatic Patterns is simply a great piece of work and you are well advised to check out jewels like "The Chalice Of Fiery Transmutation" sooner rather than later.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 22, 2025.

When spirituality meets myths and vehemence liaises with competence, it can be that you are listening to an Acherontas release. “Psychic Death – The Shattering of Perceptions” confirms this statement on a high-quality level. Its title is almost too simple for the pretty complex, multi-layered compositions that are collected here. The booklet underlines the spiritual approach of the artists. It does not simply start with the lyrics of the first track, but with an excerpt from the “Egyptian Book of the Dead” and some more or less philosophical remarks from band leader V. Priest ("Mind and body are two vessels, separated and united at the same time..."). So one thing is clear right from the start: this album does not lack a message. The band has put heart and soul in the recording of the multi-layered material.

“Psychic Death” is no frontal assault. Of course, it houses a lot of massive attacks, but there is also room for pain, melancholy and self-reflection. The title track especially shows the reserved, melodic side of the Greeks, and even the narrative voice comes across without domineering or pronounced malice. Its mild aroma does not fully meet my taste, but this does not mean that the composition is badly arranged or something like that. I just prefer the more adventurous tracks. “Kiss the Blood” is one of them. Its first guitar lines are fantastic and seem to be inspired by the black metal scene of Quebec, but as the song progresses, Athens gains the upper hand more and more. The triumphant lines which create a great flow in the middle of “Coiled Splendor” also make me think of groups such as Forteresse, while the beginning of the track brings Carpathian Forest to my mind. Either way, this epic tune with a length of almost nine minutes never gets boring, but opens the windows to very different perspectives.

Filth from the underground cannot be found in the production. “Psychic Death” is based on a mighty, powerful and well-balanced mix whose clarity pays tribute to the well-defined mindset of the band leader. Even when the flames are blazing high in intensive and raging pieces such as “The Offering of Hemlock” or “Sermons of the Psyche”, the sound image remains clear and precise. Only the apparently ineradicable disease in worldwide metal, that the bass is neglected, is also to be criticised here, but the long-suffering fan has already got used to that. Anyway, these two courageous and uncompromising songs would have the power to smash the Acropolis until only ruins remained. But, as we all know, that has already happened.

To fill the opulent playtime of nearly 54 minutes with interesting compositions was obviously no big challenge for Acherontas, a band that has released a remarkable ten (!) full-lengths within 18 years. Only the last track cannot fully justify its length of seven minutes. Once again, we get narrative vocals and partly almost dreamy guitars. Admittedly, towards the end does the song intensifies into a vicious mixture, but that happens pretty late. Never mind. “Psychic Death – The Shattering of Perceptions” holds a lot of different moods without being random. Whether you like it bombastic, sprawling, strict, wild, or profound, almost everyone will find what they are looking for here, because most parts of the amazing album are simply done masterfully.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10