ALBUM REVIEW: Towards The Tomb Of Times – Naxen

Having graced the black metal scene for a short period of two years, German black metallers NAXEN have already established themselves in giant form. With the release of their EP, To Abide In Ancient Abysses in 2018, they gained the attention of black metal fans across Europe. This was a fresh-faced band who were seemingly going to climb the ladders to be rightfully respected. Now, with their first full-length, Towards The Tomb Of Times, they are back to place their feet firmly on the next step up.

Kicking off the album, To Welcome the Withering juts in cautiously, melodically, but in a dangerous fashion that is more-so an atmospheric build-up of the intense destruction we will hear throughout. Just prior to the two-minute mark, this track then holds another eight plus minutes of fury and black metal qualities that show that this trio have lived and breathed what they are putting into their sound. Again, the dynamics that are covered in this opening song set to characterise the rest of the brutality that is to come on the album, but it almost highlights how NAXEN would perform in a live setting as well. It almost feels as though they’ve written the music with live shows in mind because of how everything fits together like a jigsaw in terms of atmosphere, ambience, sound, capturing an audience.

This ‘package’ feel continues as the album hits the second offering, The Odious Ordeal. The song is an excellent example of how the band work with the unique blend between the raw, gritty properties of the black metal genre and how melodies have been incorporated in to show the depth of a genre that has been so often overlooked for it’s viciousness. The riffs are heavy, weighing you down as each second ticks by. The emotions it invokes are just as heavy, it feels as though each moment becomes a gut-punch, especially around the 6:30 minute mark where everything just starts to feel a little more anguished. At just over 12 minutes, The Odious Ordeal lives up to its dictionary definition, making you live every despairing moment of your life in the time it runs.

A Shadow in the Fire, Pt.1 (Scars of Solitude) features Chris Noir of ULTHA. ULTHA have been sporting the success of NAXEN since their early days, so it is unsurprising to see a member partake in their first full-length efforts. Again, at 12 minutes long, it is another lengthy run of crushing pain. Vocalist LN and Chris Noir both work effortlessly together, blending and creating a formula that is to be admired. There’s an energy as they work together on this song that can only explain why the German black metal scene is one of the strongest at this current time. Despite all the songs on this album having their own identity, Scars of Solitude is one that stands maybe just a little bit stronger, and again, in a live environment, this would obliterate the souls of anyone experiencing it.

Part two of A Shadow in the Fire, Where Fire Awaits, is to the second the same length as part one, which even that detail, planned or not shows the skills this band have to make their mark. It holds the same energy as its predecessor, but holds a more crushing weight. This is of course the final song, so why not make it feel as though this is the end? There are aspects in which this has a little influence from doom, which is been noted all throughout the album, but Where Fire Awaits just has a grasp of it a little tighter. The two genres are so similar but so different when compared, but the influence on each other always creates something so damning nobody can be prepared. Although, the most haunting part of this song, and even the album, is the way Where Fire Awaits is concluded. With the gentle plucking of an acoustic guitar, there has been a darkness from start to finish, but this is eerily like something is being laid to rest. Its elegance alongside the whispers from LN only add to this eerie dynamic. Without a second thought, when this dark moment has passed, the trio lift straight back into raw black metal riffs for two minutes longer, showing that this is just the beginning.

For a first full-length effort, Towards The Tomb of Times is to be acknowledged in high regard. For a trio who have only been as an outfit for two years, what they have created is a display of their talents as individual and collective musicians, but also the passion they have for creating raw and intense black metal. NAXEN is a band who will capture the audience in the palms of their hands, and if they continue to grow with the foundations they have already placed down, then there is no doubt they will become a titan of the modern German black metal scene. Towards The Tomb of Times is a confident and fearless release, and with no doubt as to why.

Rating: 8/10

Towards The Tomb of Times is out now via Vendetta Records.

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