Other than the appearance of what could be Johnny & Edgar Winter's long lost sister on the cover of Bu-Tik (sorry, couldn't resist!), this is another really solid release from the Taiwanese act known as Chthonic. At their core Chthonic is a black metal band, but they throw in enough symphonic keyboard elements and traditional Taiwanese flavors using the erhu (a sort of strange looking violin type instrument) to give their music a very unique sound. Comparisons to Dimmu Borgir, Borknagar, and Cradle of Filth are valid, though Chthonic let plenty of classic metal riffs bleed into their music, as well include a heaping amount of shredding guitar solos and the already mentioned sultry erhu passages.
"Supreme Pain for the Tyrant" and "Next Republic" show just how hard hitting this band can be, with maniacal black metal shrieks & deep growls from Freddy Lim and wicked guitar work courtesy of Jessie Liu. The added luxury of having those wonderful keyboard textures and soaring erhu is the icing on the cake for this band, and in other spots on the album you'll also hear some oboe and lute as well. Other exciting tracks include "Sail Into the Sunset's Fire", the addicting "Between Silence and Death" , and the surging, crushing riff fest that is "Resurrection Pyre". Like I mentioned earlier, though the music of Chthonic is rooted in traditional black metal, a lot of Bu-Tik can also be considered melodic death metal, and the symphonic elements, traditional Taiwanese flair, as well as the lack of relentless blast beats, makes for a wholly unique listening experience.
If you haven't yet discovered the wonders of Chthonic, this is as good a place to start as any, and make sure you work your way backwards through their impressive back catalog as well.
Track Listing
1. Arising Armament
2. Supreme Pain for the Tyrant
3. Sail Into the Sunset's Fire
4. Next Republic
5. Rage of My Sword
6. Between Silence and Death
7. Resurrection Pyre
8. Set Fire to the Island
9. Defenders of Bu-Tik Palace
10. Undying Rearmament
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
