ALBUM REVIEW: Eclipse – Teratolith
TERATOLITH are an incredibly mysterious band. Initially releasing their debut EP, Eclipse I, back in August of last year, and following it up with Eclipse II back in February, it’s not exactly clear how many members there are in the band, or indeed where the band comes from. This leaves the music to speak for itself, and luckily, the music is incredibly impressive. Blending a noxious mix of black and death metal with dense, hazy ambient music, the band have clearly fleshed out their sound and style very early on, setting them apart in terms of their sound from many of their contemporaries. The band’s debut album, Eclipse, takes the material from the preceding two EP’s, making for not just a great album, but also a great gateway into this band and their sound.
The first four tracks on the record first saw the light of day on the bands 2019 debut EP, Eclipse I. The bleakly atmospheric, dirge-like opener One. Death. sets a dark and foreboding tone for the rest of the album, with hypnotic drums and droning guitar hooks acting as a great backdrop to the subdued, yet visceral, vocals, and making an excellent start to the record. The far lengthier Two. picks up the ethereal, ambience heavy sound that dominated the last tracks closing moments, and uses it to craft a much vaster, borderline epic sound, punctuated by brief bursts of cacophony that add a jarring edge to the bulk of this song, resulting in an engrossing and monolithic piece of music.
Three. The Oracle., with its much more oppressive and sepulchral feel, is an exercise in how to create beguiling, dissonant black metal. The arid vocals vie with the guitars and booming, primitive percussion, which all make for a murky and immersive affair that grabs the listeners attention. Four. Misericordia. acts more as a heady mix of dark ambient elements and minimalist, clean guitars, which serve as a great pallet cleanser that separates the albums two halves extremely well.
The album’s second half, comprised of material from the bands Eclipse II EP from earlier this year, proves to have a much tighter, sharper sound overall, with shorter, punchier tracks aiding the appeal of the music no end. Five. Thanatomorphosis., with its spacey intro that quickly gives way to a grinding, chaotic whirlwind of drums, guitars and sparse, acerbic vocals, is a stygian and at points impenetrable track that couples a savage blackened assault with an almost ritualistic side that hooks the listener from start to finish.
Six. contrasts starkly with its predecessor, opting for a more measured and focused pace, making for a morose and doom-laden sound that relies on spartan melodies and the delicate drums cymbals to create a noxious, but thoroughly sublime, sound which sets it apart from much of the album that came before it, without departing from the established formula significantly. Seven. is characterised by some brilliant, haunting leads and incredibly precise, intricate drums, which build a huge wall of noise around which the hazy guitars and eerie, whispered vocals are able to move, creating a powerful atmosphere that helps cement this particular song as one of the stand out tracks on the record. Eight. Eclipse. is another great, ambience dominated track with a few jarring, unnerving moments that make for a listen that is intense in spite of its airy nature. It’s a fantastic end to and impressive and memorable record that brings together the albums lighter elements along with its harsher ones.
This is a great record that showcases just how good the more obscure side of blackened death metal can sound when it’s done right. Although it would normally be easy to criticise a band for essentially welding two previous EP’s together and calling it an album, the music on offer here is so expertly done, getting the mix between the murky Ambient elements and the more visceral and aggressive black and death metal aspects of their sound perfectly balanced in a way that most bands would not be able to, which ultimately gives this album a dark and ritualistic feel throughout. Considering that TERATOLITH have managed to develop and craft their own sound from the very start of their recording career, it’s safe to say that there’s potentially a plethora of great music to come from this mysterious and intriguing act.
Rating: 9/10
Eclipse is out now via Brucia Records.