Death does not determine the entire path of the spirit but instead acts as a doorway beyond the flesh, a gatekeeper to transcendence as insisted by Finland-based melodic black metal duo AETHYRICK on this fifth full-length album. Herein they’d portend the authority of the reaper ends upon passage through mortality, denying any further fatalism necessary for those who’ve enough sense to stoke the fires of personal spirituality. ‘Death is Absent‘ has much more to say than this when plumbed for its depth but the initial prompt does well to set the tone for the unearthly sojourn ahead, another escalation of the self they’ve been cultivating for nearly a decade. Neatly generated with a strong melodic hand, a sharp-eyed aesthetic, and an ear for deeply layered atmosphere the bands work continues to reinforce its signature here with some of their best-yet communicated intent while still allowing some room for that sound and spirit to evolve in real time.

Aethyrick formed circa 2016 between shadowy figures Gall and Exile who’d quickly presented a well above-average vision for black metal sounds with regular output year-over-year since. The directive of this band is primarily spiritual, using the foil of oaken 90’s black metal atmosphere to inform their own increasingly layered activity. In the past I’ve compared this sound to everything from the general dynamic of early Ulver and Winterfylleth to the dreamlike austerity of early Lunar Aurora while suggesting some kinship to Finnish black metal bands with some sophisticated sense of melody, such as early 2000’s Baptism (re: ‘Wisdom & Hate‘) but none of these other bands channel us directly to their doorstep. Since I’ve written in great detail about each of their works beyond their debut statement (‘Praxis‘, 2018) I will say that in the past I’ve entered each new release thinking I’d have nothing to new to say or observe yet they’ve proven me wrong at every turn. For the uninitiated I’d suggest the quickest path to witness their enlightenment comes by way of the personae detailed on their second album (‘Gnosis‘, 2020) but the practical aspects of their sound would receive increasing value in terms of sound design beyond that point.

Applying deeper than typical meaning and symbolism to works they’d consider “uncomplicated” these folks have been entirely consistent in developing their own style of mid-paced, melody driven and highly atmospheric black metal which is yet a shade apart from many of their current Finnish peers in terms of tonal eloquence. From introspective existentialism to clandestine, personal forms of Satanism their work carries both thought and feeling in steadily ascendant quality, having reached a particularly grand milestone in meaning and musicianship per their trilogy-capping third LP (‘Apotheosis‘, 2021) before carrying on with a turn towards what’d essentially been a concept album, or at least a thoughtfully set narrative, on their follow-up (‘Pilgrimage‘, 2022). These works clearly come from studied minds with extremely high standards as every detail adds to the greater atmosphere of the Aethyrick experience, there’ve hardly been any rough edges on display since 2016 and perhaps frustratingly so for those seeking the raw personage of black metal. From their aesthetic and production values down to the unflinching performances on each album there is only progress made toward perfection here, every album seems to escalate beyond the last to the point that these acts must arise from a core philosophy in practicum. In this sense the latest album from the band will typically be their best work to date until they’ve reached some manner of plateau.

As a signature presence on the now shuttered The Sinister Flame imprint it’d been difficult to picture where Aethyrick‘s atmospheric yet directly melodic work might land afterwards as a prolific and fairly quickly established artist in that realm per an extensive discography. In terms of spiritual associations and professional standards feeding where they’d take their sound beyond ‘Pilgrimage‘ the future carried both certainties and unknowns. For many their sound existed with a specific set of rhythmic rules in place, assigned steps which create well-rounded melodic statements which typically evolve into ranting narrative or exposition of the internal self. This time around I’d appreciated being given no direction when entering the experience, without any ulterior expectation set beyond the momentum built across their journey thus far I’d had to pay closer attention to this actively engaging detail rich set of pieces which are delivered with a briskness that suggests they’ve paid some additional attention to pacing while amplifying the function of the keyboards/synth as it pertains to their melodic directive.

Crisp in its precision but atomized as if charcoal risen to choke the air the drum sound/production on ‘Death is Absent‘ is especially resonant for my own taste this time around as they leverage a classic melodic black metal swat given some commanding heft to the snare. You should feel this up front alongside their more prominent touch upon the keys from the moment opener, “The Fire that Sires the Sun”, appears gilded in its glowing sombre stride. A few punishing blows to the kit here and there are all that is needed to lend an epic, almost martial edge to their otherwise sweepingly stated directive within this song. While these might appear to be small changes on paper, and of course Aethyrick still bear a recognizable sound overall, but this song does more than hint at a more readily direct set of performances from the duo who’ve left some of their introversion behind for a more “heavy metal” riff or two as we pass through standout “Empyrean Silver”.

Verbose and voluminous in its passing resonance the overall impression given by Side A is one of dramatic engagement rather than dire affect and the point of connectivity is more often than not the hex of a main riff in long-form statement, threaded tautly in its escalating build toward finale. There is a call-and-answer available to most of the riffs on this album with one of my favorite being the rambling, multi-tiered arcing of “Beyond All Death“. By then the keys have more-or-less risen to peak prominence, the guitars have generally lead the show and the collective whirr of their action clearly communicates a complex knot of layers rather than a passing sweep through simple progression(s). By the time we are in the ecstatic lift of Side B the greater rhythmic language of the band clarifies within the slower, more typical movement of “Midwinter Masks” as this is the general comfort zone of the bands composers for their last several releases; By direct comparison the nigh Greek black metal tipped riffs which strike a heavy metal glint on “The Hands of Fate” would make it my favorite song on the record, one that I’d compulsively left on repeat and returned to the album for.

Knowing themselves, communicating in poetic drift and yet conveying a sense of black metal abrasion in their experience Aethyrick continue to manage astonishing consistency in their work. While this might read as repetitive modus from a distance their work remains restless in pursuit of a higher ideal from point of view. ‘Death is Absent‘ has a certain artistic confidence in its own voice, a vigor applied in moderation which makes for an uncanny, unflinching showing which inspires introspection at the very least. In their defiance of death’s ultimate authority the duo’s work takes on a stoic, empyrean quality rather than the sullen wilt found on much of their previous work and without leaving behind the tinge of dramatic melancholia that’d variously helped to define their approach. Even after five albums worth of steadiness there is yet a possessed power feeding the waves produced and I’ve still found myself entranced by the subtly built nuance of their songcraft and its ability to sink into the psyche so naturally. A high recommendation.

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