AZATHOTH 6 Track EP



Seems you can't throw a blob of protoplasm these days without hitting some metal/goth/horror band claiming all sorts of affinity to that beloved gentleman from Provedince; H.P. Lovecraft.


From the unfathomed voids of non-euclidian space & time (aka:Fresno,CA) come AZATHOTH, the seemingly thousandth band to sport a variation on this moniker. (Anyone remember the brilliant "Lost State Of Dreams" demo from Florida's Astaroth; circa 1993?)


What we have here is a band that has yet to grow fully into themselves, as this EP has some VERY strong elements (musicianship,production value) and some weak areas (weak vocals,cheezy "Spooky" keyboards) that are so painfully cliche within metal circles as to be almost comical.



Beginning with a piano intro that is about 2 minutes too long, and littered with melodies that skirt the line between sounding like mistakes, and well executed (if ill-advised) jazz intervals.


I was really ready for the metal music to kick in.
And that it does; in a big way.


Azathoth play a wicked, thrash-infused, variation of technical black metal that isn't interested in breaking the speed barrier (think "Cruelty And The Beast"-era Cradle Of Filth for the blast beats), mixed with pseudo-classical wankery that will get the guitar nerds hot and bothered.


And here is where my problem with this band lies. Not only is there prog rock guitar masturbation in spades, but this band's keyboardist feels inclined to get in on the act, and the result is a wank-fest of epic proportions. As per most technical metal; chops are favored over strong arrangements and (gasp) catchy songwriting...and that ultimatley hurts this release.


Many is the time that the band comes Sooooooooooooooo close to driving the musical stake right thru the listener's heart, only to farg it up at the last second because the keyboardist insists on playing some Rachmononovian counter melody instead of locking in and delivering the killing stroke. This serves to rob the music of the power I would associate with something as massive in scope as the Cthulhu Mythos.



Ultimatley the whole affair just comes off as too controlled for my taste, to be convincing as a Lovecraftian epic.
Perhaps I sound too harsh, but I believe that if you're gonna talk the Eldritch talk; you GOTTA slither the tentacled....er, "Walk".
I am from the school of thought that the ultimate Lovecraftian album was achieved over a decade ago with Morbid Angel's "Blessed Are The Sick", and THAT is the standard to which Cthulhu-Metal has to deliver.
I ask of Azathoth...where is the chaos? Where is the soul-tearing vocals from beyond the unfathomed void, the speed that threatens to rip down the gates between realities., the doom laden bass of a world hurled towards necropolis?
To my ears, it's just not here.


However , all is far from lost. Azathoth are a pretty damn good metal band on many levels, and I believe with a bit of time to focus their efforts away from some of these cliches, they can go on to become a force to be reckoned with.
This EP is off to a solid start; these guys are excellent musicians, the production is top notch, the packaging of the CD looks great,and as a whole this is a quality effort.


But, my advice is to veer away from the Lovecraft vibe,and just embrace instrumental metal 100%. It will be much more natural, & therefore much more convincing.





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