Day: November 17, 2015

Italy (fortunately) is not only the country of talent shows or Vanzina’s movies, in its DNA resides a strong mystical occult tradition, exploded in the seventies with directors who have taught horror films to the whole world. If then, as in this case we talk about music, the importance of our bands, in dark prog as well as in classic and extreme metal becomes exponential. The Milanese Black Oath have been carrying on the Italian tradition in the genre for almost ten years: their eponymous debut came out two years after the foundation in ep format, followed by other minor works and two full lengths, The Third Aeon in 2011 and Ov Qliphoth and Darkness released two years ago. Classic metal, hints of doom and a lot of atmosphere are the main features of the sound of this beautiful work, which has its roots in the national dark metal prog, full of beautiful and dark vintage melodies; a mystical journey into the esoteric music, where you are taken by the hand by the beautiful voice of A.Th, priest of this occult liturgy that for almost an hour hypnotizes and seduces. Very smooth, thanks to a mature and inspired songwriting, To Below And Beyond is the classic timeless work, far from easy extremisms, but well established in the dark part of the classic heavy metal, where back to have importance in the sound his majesty the riff, powerful and melodic, cadenced in its long procession and enhanced by solos that come out from the dark world bewitching and tragic. There is not a song that falls below an average that remains very high throughout the duration of the work, keeping the listener glued to the headphones, lost in the messianic atmosphere of songs like I Am Athanor, the huge Flesh To Gold, the most doom-oriented of the lot, and the great title track, a monument to the esoteric and occult heavy dark. Between the grooves, but especially in the atmospheres of the new work of Black Oath, pass in front of us spirits brought back from the afterlife, enchanters and ministers of esoteric altars that have inspired bands like Death SS, The Black and Paul Chain. A black opera that will not disappoint lovers of the genre, the most underground and fascinating of all the various souls of metal music. (A. Centenari – MetalEyes 21/11/2015)

2015 – Doomentia Records / Terror from Hell Records 2016 – Equinox Discos