ONHEIL - In Black Ashes Digi-CD

The Dutch black/death metal band Onheil has been running in the underground for a very long time. The group was formed almost twenty-five years ago in 1999. Only vocalist and guitar player Amok is still left from the original line-up. However, the gentlemen are not very prolific in the sense that after a series of demos and an EP, the debut full length “Razor” took until 2009 to be released. With that debut, however, Onheil were able to gather some recognition within the scene. Their branch of melodic black/death metal boasts rock-solid guitar work and recalls big names like Dissection or Sacramentum. Five years after their initial album, the band proved with “Storm Is Coming” that the debut was not the be-all and end-all of their creativity. While I do not own the second long-player from the snippets I heard it was also full of excellent, melodic compositions, in which even some heavy metal influences seeped through, especially in the guitar work.

The dark atmospherics, blackened melodic streaks, and dynamic shifts in emotional intensity are performed and arranged with professional enthusiasm. The end product is an impressive piece of music performed and produced with a lot of polish and energy. The sound is more or less perfect, very dynamic and transparent. Every instrument is in its place in the mix, with no aspect overpowering the others. The physical version also comes with a wonderful artwork which perfectly matches the theme and mood of the album, making “In Black Ashes” a high recommendation for fans of this style.