Aenaon / Stielas Storhett – Split (2012)

Being huge fans of Aenaon, we got very excited when we received this two-song split release between the Greeks and the Russian one-man band Stielas Storhett. Clocking in around 12 minutes, this split really showcases both bands ability to take Black Metal to completely new heights and make it seem easy.

Opening the release we have Aenaon’s “Er”, a 6-minute track that continues their Progressive Black Metal brilliance after last year’s epic “Cendres Et Sang”. The band’s unique style is immediately present with funky melodic sections and killer vocals. The progressive elements of this track are excellent, but the sax on it really reminded us of Ihsahn and his own brand of music but with a jazzier edge, just like on the band’s previous release.

Having never heard about Stielas Storhett before, we were pleasantly surprised that their sound also is very reminiscent of Ihsahn, particularly in the riffing and vocal style. However, the band delivers a bit more than this with very aggressive riffing and killer tempo changes. There are some excellent clean vocals in this song and slower paced sections, giving it enough depth to really set the band apart from everybody else playing Black Metal.

Never failing to deliver, Aenaon makes this limited edition split a must buy for any fan of the band. And with the added value of Stielas Storhett being an excellent band by themselves, you really have no excuse to not get this split release. Be sure to hurry up since there are only 300 copies made.

Release: December 12th, 2012

Genre: Progressive Black Metal

Country: Greece / Russia