Chthe'ilist - Le Dernier Crépuscule

CHTHE'ILIST - Le Dernier Crépuscule (PROFOUND LORE LP 2016)

You wanna hear one of the most sensational and impressive debuts of not only this year, but probably of this decade? Then open your eyes and check this piece of Canadian filth that will break your tongue, when you will try to pronounce its name - Chthe'ilist (and if that doesn’t do the job, then try with the song title “Vecoiitn'aphnaat'smaala” hahaha). This duo has released their debut album a while ago, “Le Dernier Crépuscule”, and damn, this is a real be(a)stial death metal masterpiece. It has everything that I love about some of these new bands; when they take the essence of the genre, sipping its blood right from the roots, but at the same time are able to bring something new and push the limits a bit further. They’re not inventors, but revolutionists! With albums such as “Le Dernier Crépuscule” I feel like they improve the old skeleton of death metal; for something way darker and more dense sounding than any of the 90’s have ever had. This is why such albums are so worthy to listen to.

Chthe'ilist certainly does great job on “Le Dernier Crépuscule”. Their music is one hand a huge worship of the old Finnish death metal scene, with bands like Disgrace, Funebre, Thergothon, Adramelech and Demilich, but also for bands from other countries like old Therion, Carbonized, Grave, Vital Remains and Morbid Angel. But the way it’s all presented on “Le Dernier Crépuscule” is definitely far from archaic ways and Chthe'ilist is not cut’n’paste type of band. It’s much more atmospheric and kind of progressive as well; technical, but never fuckin boring or mindless. The utterly grim, dark and morbid aura of their music is something that was never to be found in the old days. It’s so fuckin dense and putrid, so eerie that you’re gonna feel frightened. It’s almost like you’re closed in a sepulture and inside there’s this thick, suffocating smoke that covers everything and you start to choke to death. There’s actually a killer lyrics for the first song, which I think fits the aura of this album perfectly:

“As you enter the vaults of ingurgitating obscurity, the blood-chilling, eerie calm that surrounds you makes your body tremble in fear. Through the cryptic gloom, you hear the shadows whisper, their voices echoing in a silent, sinister discordance.”

The whole album is perfectly built and balanced, speaking of the tempos of the songs (oh that heavy, epic opening instrumental piece – what a start!!!), with the intros that only increase the eeriness and morbid aura, with great songs spread all over the album… and the visual side of “Le Dernier Crépuscule”, which fits the sounds just perfectly. Definitely such death metal is not easily memorable or listenable. It requires attention, especially for its technical aspects, many details and all the great work of guitars or drums, not to forget about killer vocal performance, which is definitely one of the best I’ve heard in a while! Even some subtle keyboards that are in songs like “Into the Vaults of Ingurgitating Obscurity” give the music something special. In this particular song, when keyboards appear along some amazing clean vocals I just feel thrills.

Chthe'ilist definitely found a good balance between the technical aspect of death metal, with some bizarre, twisted riffs or sick leads and the ability to keep it listenable and transparent – what is important especially for such thick, massive sounding death metal. But they did it perfectly and if you’re afraid that this album may not sound old school enough, then I request that you give a special attention to songs like “The Voices from Beneath the Well”, which really do fuckin sound like taken from old Therion, Lubricant or Digrace LPs or any other of those technical, but so brutal and beautiful records from the old era. Somehow not many bands dare to play this sick style of death metal these days. Chthe'ilist does.

Let me also say that I mentioned how the great artwork and visual side (including band photographs) fits the music. But I must also mention the lyrics, which are some of the BEST I’ve ever read. They’re incredibly fantastic tales of horror, very influenced by Lovecraft obviously, but the way they’re written is simply awesome, because it’s like reading a short story. Take the lyrics for “Scriptures of the Typhlodians” as an example, for something really amazing!! I strongly advice to read them all, as only this way you will truly be able “to enter the dream world of Eil’udom”! So, summing it all up – if this album doesn’t impress you, then I don’t know what else will. And cut this “why not listen to Voivod, Timeghoul, and Demilich instead?” bullshit, which I’ve read somewhere in another review, as such statement not only tells about your low intelligence, but also about your total ignorance for everything that great bands like Chthe'ilist do these days.

Standout tracks: “Into the Vaults of Ingurgitating Obscurity”, “Tales of the Majora Mythos Part 1”, “Voidspawn”, “The Voices from Beneath the Well”

Final rate: 95/100