Review by chrisc7249 on July 27, 2022.

I don't remember how I came across the act under speculation here, but I admit I was a little skeptical when I read the absurdly stupid name "Barn" as well as the trippy, completely not metal cover art which looks like a bloodied sperm cell under a microscope. Still, something compelled me to dig deeper after reading the reviews, and I couldn't be more glad that I looked past my initial judgment and gave this band/album a try.

In a world where almost every metal release from everyone of its subgenres is just a modern rehash of old ideas, you can imagine how blown away I was when I gave this a listen and felt bewildered by the complex arrangements, intriguing riffs and overall oddball quirks this album uses to separate themselves from the pack. Pinning down Barn's exact sound with words is like trying to convince your one friend that's in a toxic relationship that it's not going to work… it's ultimately pointless. However, if I were to try, I'd say Barn sounds like if you took all the best parts of golden era Vital Remains, Death, and The Chasm and completely reworked the formula from the ground up.

The riffs are particularly unique, groovy yet extremely tight and technically proficient without feeling like pure wank. The atmosphere is spacey, almost otherworldly, without sounding like another Blood Incantation clone. This album truly captures the essence of an album like Demilich's "Nespithe" or Timeghoul's two demos without being a copy of either one in any way. The drumming… oh wow, the drumming. On top of sounding extremely organic and heavy, they're played excellently and, to my surprise, contain spliced electronic drum rolls - something I've never heard before in extreme metal, and it works so fucking well.

The bass player is an absolute beast. Either the bass adds that extra chunk to the riffs by following along with the guitars, or creates an ethereal feel by playing a lead higher on the fretboard; again, all without being too wanky to tolerate. Sure, this is ""technical"" death metal… but it's so pure and raw, unlike tech death bands like Fallujah, The Faceless or Archspire which are very controlled and calculated. The vocals are standard, but menacing. Perhaps this field could use a little work with some additional range, but they certainly aren't hurting the album any.

The sound of this album is lovely. I already stated the drums are organic as fuck, but the guitars are probably the crunchiest I've ever heard on a modern death metal album, spilling at the seams with hate and attitude, and even some guitar effects are used for good measure. The bass has a decent tone, I would have liked it a little thicker, but if it ain't broken, don't fix it I guess.

Barn's self-titled shows more songwriting wits and promise than the majority of big label modern death metal bands such as Frozen Soul, Gatecreeper, or the other number of boring ass death metal bands that are out in the world nowadays. It's melodic, it's technical, it's heavy as fuck and it's always doing something interesting. If you haven't listened to this album yet… the fuck are you doing? Do not be turned away by the silly band name or cover art. This is seriously some of the best death metal to come out in the past decade or so.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Fernando on December 22, 2021.

Black metal has always had its share of ups and downs in terms of trends and scenes. US black metal in particular being a case of being all over the place without a signature style, but in the case of Oregon outfit Eosphoros, that was an advantage that they took for their own benefit.

The eponymous record that Eosphoros dropped back in 2018 was one of the many albums overlooked and overshadowed that year, but that also gave them more mystique to naturally garner a following. With that being said I can safely say this is one hidden gem from the wellspring of black metal that Oregon seems to be turning into, and one of the best black metal records right now. Eosphoros' style of black metal is very interesting. They combine various elements but the two most important ones are sinister and at times depressing atmospheres and melodies, with harsh and thrashing melodies and riffs, and combined through a gritty production that's also oddly audible, not quite raw, but also not overly polished, which ends up completing the sound the band accomplished here.

The guitar and vocals of JG are the major stand outs. The tone is extremely sharp and aggressive, but in tracks like 'Dross', 'Trance Of Annihilation' and 'Sylvan Apotheosis', the cleaner and slower sections have as much sharpness and bite as the overwhelming riffs, and JG's howling shrieks complement the guitars perfectly. The same can be said of AD's bass work, his pulsing and thumping low end bass compliment the wailing guitars with an excellent sense of sonic depth, in fact, the bass boosts the effectiveness of both the faster riff driven sections, and the more atmospheric parts, as it adds a groove and flow that enhances the melodies. The absence of the bass in certain key sections also complements the sense of overwhelming dread the band carefully crafted in this record. AD also contributed with a mellotron in key sections of the songs, which is surprisingly effective due to the subtle force it displays when it appears, much like the bass does. The drums of MK are also worth praising, like his bandmates, he excels at seamlessly switching between fast and slow with blast beats and rhythmic fills respectively. Overall the performances of the band as a trio and the excellent compositions that showcase that pacing of fast and slow are the best part of the entire record, despite how lengthy the tracks are, the album never feels protracted or rushed, everything is as it should be, and at 45 minutes, the record is a compact and immersive experience.

The last thing I want to mention is the penultimate track 'Solitude', which is a 6 and a half minute long instrumental track that's pure forest ambiance, there's no actual instrumentation save for guitar feedback, and it serves as a break from the savagery that opened the record, as well as a preamble to the last track which encapsulates and bookends the entire experience. I mentioned that because it shows the unique approach Eosphoros has at face value nothing they do here is that original, veteran black metal listeners would pick up the influence of bands like Arckanum and early Ulver, but it’s the band's execution in their music by mixing and bending their influences and various other elements what makes the album so refreshing. Being unique isn't the same as being original, as its pretty much impossible to be wholly original, and Eosphoros prove how they created something truly special from tried-and-true paths, and that they're also a band worth keeping up with.

Best tracks: 'Dross', 'Trance Of Annihilation', 'Sylvan Apotheosis'

Rating: 9.5 out of 10