Irish black metal act Beithíoch is back with a brooding new album: Ghosts of a World Long Forgotten. The album takes the listener on a journey into the murky depths of time, summoning spectres from the abyssic subconscious of man. Densely arranged melodic tracks integrate with dark ambient pieces and more straight-forwardly black metal tracks to deliver what is hoped will be an immersive listening experience.
I must say I recalled Conquest as having a much stronger viking metal vibe along with the influences of atmospheric death acts like Portal and Abyssal, and checking back this is fairly accurate. This new album goes in a bit of a different direction with fewer roaring from the gates tracks like “Conquerers” and more focus on creating an aesthetic. This is apparent early on with the opening ambience of “Rot” and continues to emerge as the lifesblood of the album.
Is this a bad thing? No, merely unexpected. For someone like me who listens to so much music on a daily basis, unexpected is my bread and butter. And as if to quell any fears that the project has somehow gone soft, “The Abyss of Time” quite abruptly reminds us that yes this is a death metal album. Returned are the distant, indecipherable snarls akin the bands mentioned above. Returned are the living, breathing snare and cymbal strikes to compliment the blackened guitar melodies. It’s an ominous affair that has traded the horde for a trip through Hel.
Be sure to put some headphones in or play this on some decent speakers too, because there is a lot going on between the chugging distortion and walls of tremolo. A closer inspection of each track will reveal layers of subtle elements that make the listening experience a veritable Where’s Waldo of atmospheric death metal. Extra guitar parts, other instruments, and who knows what else are always lurking in the background; placed in such a way as to out the composer as some sort of meticulous mad man. But the results sure do speak for themselves.
I’m rambling again. Is this really the fifth paragraph already? Shoot. Well, Ghosts of a World Long Forgotten lives up to its name. It is a haunting, hellish experience that seems to permeate the mind and soul. It’s kind of like that black oil that used to pop up in the X-Files. Once it gets on you, it’s going to take control. There’s simply no stopping it. With this album, Beithioch have not only proven it is still up to the challenge of creating strong compositions, but also that it can grow and evolve in the process.