The debut album of Bythos stood out for several reasons. For one, the seasoned veterans from the Finnish Black Metal scene that comprise the act had chosen a sound far away from that of any of their other bands like Behexen or Horna. Instead, the more midpaced Black Metal that is centered around glorifying melodies professed their adoration for the devil in a different way, entrancing the listener with a crushing and ominous sense of darkness. Nearly four years later we find ourselves at the dawn of the second coming, as the Chthonic Gates will be unveiled to us on their sophomore album.
With ‘Chthonic Gates Unveiled’ the band has chosen to continue on the formula of their debut, where meandering and mesmerizing melodic guitar leads are at the focus of the music. Much like that debut, the deception lies in the multidimensional approach of the band which creates lush levels of intricacy. There are several guitar layers to every song, ranging from background strumming acoustics to distorted tremolo picking and melodic leads and solos that are often draped upon each other. But the melody always remains central in the song. This all combines into an atmosphere of glorification, a ritualistic sound in which the band professes their adoration for Lucifer. The variation in guitar parts is matched by highly dynamic drum work, which is often the main source of changes in pace. In that sense, ‘Chthonic Gates Unveiled’ searches for more variation in tempo than on the debut ‘The Womb of Zero’. Finally, on the newest album the band also opts for the more frequent use of clean vocals. While the track ‘Omega Dragon’ on the debut had already feature clean chanting choirs, we find these used far more often on ‘Chthonic Gates Unveiled’ and to a great effect.
A song like ‘Thoughtless Light’ feels like a direct continuation of the previous album, harbouring the familiar atmosphere and meandering melodies. At the same time, it is here that the addition of a piano further adds to the atmosphere of worship. ‘Wolves of Hades’ then shows the band of a more menacing side, with a degree of dissonance, pulsating bass and impressive creative drums. The record continues in furious fashion at the start of ‘Hidden Heart of Darkness’, only to move into a more rocking song with layered acoustics, a beautiful solo and clean vocal incantations. ‘Broken twines of Eden’ is a massive sounding song filled with excellent clean vocals and continued changes in pace, a song through which the album reaches its peak intensity. It is overwhelming, with the band pouring out hearts in beauty and ferocity. Through the almost nervous and furious ‘Ancient Kings Arise’ the album then shifts back to a more midpaced tempo, with closing track ‘Gates of Apostasy (part II)’ harboring an entrancing, almost esoteric and oriental atmosphere to it.
On the surface, much of what we heard from Bythos on ‘The Womb of Zero’ has remained on their second record. But in depth, ‘Chthonic Gates Unveiled’ is the evolution of that sound into new heights. It is more layered, more varied, more nuanced and more intense. Through it all, it manages to retain that aura of adoration and worship of the darkness. It is the type of Black Metal you hear every day, and that is exactly what sets it apart, in all its stunning melodic beauty.
