Akercocke - Choronzon

Akercocke is an Occult Metal outfit whose members describe themselves as “well groomed, high cultured, slightly eccentric and very English gentlemen.” Adorning their CD inserts are assorted pictures of them looking absolutely splendid in tuxedos and fine suits. They dedicate their music to “Satan and The Blast,” and appear to take their religion quite seriously. Not your typical metal lads are they—not by a long shot.

British drummer David Gray started playing metal back in the late 1980s with musicians he contacted through Guitarist magazine. The material they created was primitive, Satanic, and in the style of Bathory. Gray then met vocalist/guitarist Jason Mendonca and formed the band Salem Orchid in 1990. That group would put out a demo tape, but its roster was turbulent, and soon Gray and Mendonca had to find new bandmates. It was at this time they linked up with bassist Peter Theobalds. The chemistry was there, but the music failed to develop properly and the three parted company until 1996. At that point, they reformed as Akercocke and Paul Scanlan (guitar) and Martin Bonsoir (electronics) were added. The band received a big break when Terrorizer magazine got a hold of their new demo and interviewed them in a featured story. Rape of the Bastard Nazarene was then released in 1999 and got a warm reception from critics and fans alike. Akercocke began touring extensively with death and black metal acts and landed the contract it had long sought with Peaceville Records in 2000. Their second full-length, The Goat of Mendes, was released by Peaceville in 2001.

Their latest, 2003’s Choronzon, begins with the dramatization of a sacrifice. Is this a sample from a film, or have the band actually casted the parts of Satanic Priest and Ritual Virgin? In any case, it is definitely spooky. One thing Akercocke does on this album that I have not seen before is they number sections—not songs—on the album. So “Praise the Name of Satan” actually encompasses this dramatization and the song that follows (8 out of a total of 99 tracks on the CD). The music is very interesting. The insane blast beats and extremely guttural vocals will recall death metal great Nile. And listen to the terrific synth programming by Bonsoir and the creative, melodic guitar work of Mendonca and Scanlan. The music is constantly changing, with sweeping, majestic sections that give it a sense of grandeur and artistry. “Prince of the North” is an instrumental interlude that features more creepy keyboard work by Bonsoir and the pounding of a kettle drum. Listen to the terrific opening riffs of “Leviathan”! Wow, this is great, and then Mendonca shows range with haunting, clean vocals (they almost have a touch of Cynic in them). Now I’m starting to really appreciate Gray’s drumming—he’s quick and constantly working his hi-hat, snare and ride. And his blast beats are inhumanly fast. Mendonca scares me by screaming, “Your breathing is my breathing/Your blood is my blood!” and then they launch into a jam that it is so electric and rich it reminds me of Rush. “Enraptured by Evil” is another strong song, featuring more incomprehensible death vocals and ambient, mystical guitar work. This is blackened death at its best, uncompromisingly heavy, but progressive and with a keen sense of melodic flair. More grand riffing to open “Valley of the Crucified” and now Mendonca’s clean vocals recall Vintersorg or perhaps I.C.S. Vortex. Listen to the Lifeson-like riffing as Mendonca slips back into his grave voice. Wow. Wild solos, bizarre voiceovers, and relentless riffing greet us in “Bathykolpian Avatar.” “There can be no heaven without hell/There can be no truth without pain,” Mendonca tells us. Another fantastic mix of dirty and clean vocals in “Scapegoat,” which adds yet another new element—a stunning speed metal chorus. “Son of the Morning” has a New Wave flavor a la Type O Negative. But Akercocke is relentlessly fast and heavy in a way that Mr. Steele and company could never be. The album concludes with the understated “Goddess Flesh,” a synth piece that drops the guitars out entirely, freeing Mendonca to croon without interruption. It is an elegant and striking conclusion to an album that is as unpredictable as it is enjoyable.

Very often, bands blatantly misrepresent their music in their promo materials, but when Akercocke claims that “Choronzon is the sound of the dangerously intelligent face of modern occult-inspired metal,” they are pretty much hitting it on the head. This does for Lucifer what Extol’s Synergy did for Jesus. Choronzon is easily one of the best albums I’ve heard this year, and I would recommend it to any metal fan that appreciates intricate, heavy music.