Asarhaddon - Reysa (2020)

Hailing from Germany, today we have two-man battalion Asarhaddon and their debut full-length release “Reysa”. Featuring a very refined and yet violent Black Metal sound, the band conceptually explores death and nature, in a very hypnotic and crushing style. Clocking over 50 minutes of relentless music, this album is quite suited for fans of bands like Anomalie, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Agrypnie, as it both blends punishing harshness with uncompromising melodic passages.

Leading with “Der Ursprung”, the listener instantly received a wall of crushing distorted guitars right after a very subtle acoustic intro. The guitar onslaught is quite impressive, never letting go of the listener’s thoat as the band pummels through crushing pieces like “Die Vergängnis erwacht”and “Ein wahrlich wirrer Ort”. Both songs are filled with pummeling riffs and very introspective melodic sections that nicely deliver tempo changes while creating cavernous and mysterious atmospheres.

Our personal favorite has to be the blistering “Der Aufstieg”, which perfectly transitions from raw brutality into more melodic passages filled with crafty drums and excellent headbanging moments. The album shifts into a more modern Black Metal styles on the excellent “Pfad ohne Kehrt”, and the creative “Am Ende ewiger Wasser”, where we get a certain Harakiri for the Sky/Karg vibe as the track closes. We find this extra experimentation quite well incorporated into an already very polished and rounded sound.

As a whole, “Reysa” is one hell of an intense release. Recorded at Klangschmiede Studio E, this release sounds like a million bucks, giving the listener a front and center seat to the aural onslaught. The band has a very marked sound that is nicely enhanced by a few more modern BM elements, allowing them to have that extra magic that differentiates bands from the masses. If you are looking for an intricately crafted Black Metal that is both punishing and melodic, look no further and get yourself a copy of this release.

Label: Geisterasche Organisation

Release: February 29th, 2020

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Germany