In case you haven't heard the name Chthonic, better get used to hearing it from this point on. This little band from Taiwan plays symphonic black metal along the lines of Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Old Man's Child, and Borknagar, and are set to make their mark on US shores with their latest release Seediq Bale and an appearance on this summer's Ozzfest tour. Seediq Bale is filled with raging, heavy guitar riffs, relentless drum barrages, a wide range of growling male and soaring female vocals, plenty of symphonic keyboards, and the weeping sounds of the traditional oriental Er-hu, which is a two-stringed violin. While much of the music delivered by these corpse painted Taiwanese is extremely heavy and extreme, there's a certain element of class and sophistication added thanks to the female choirs, keyboards, and Er-hu. Pieces like "Bloody Gaya Fulfilled" and "The Gods Weep" spare no metal thunder by any means, but these tunes are so rich with progressive & symphonic elements that you have to take notice. In fact, the arrangements on "Exultant Suicide" and "Quasi Putrefaction" just scream 'epic' from start to finish, as nimble keyboards play off crushing guitar work, blistering blast beats, and layers of screeching growls and soaring female vocals.
Lyrically, Chthonic go into Taiwanese mythology on this release, focusing on the Seediq tribe, so you can forget about tales of Satan, the occult, or war, which is what so many black metal bands center on these days. Seediq Bale is truly a breath of fresh air in the genre, and it's a good bet that their brand of Asian black metal will go over big time at Ozzfest this year. Check this CD out, and get ready for something truly exciting.
Track Listing
1. Video Data File
2. Music Video of Indigenous Laceration
3. Music Videos of Quasi Putrefaction
4. Live Video of Bloody Gaya Fulfilled
5. Progeny of Rmdax tasing
6. Indigenous Laceration
7. Enthrone
8. Bloody Gaya Fulfilled
9. The Gods Weep
10. Where the Utux Ancestors Wait
11. Exultant Suicide
12. Banished into Death
13. Quasi Putrefaction
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