Αίμα

The creative duo of Goat Synagogue from Athens, who released their first very good demo last year, defuses their energy, their anger and their creativity in a very new project, called Αίμα. Αίμα were formed in 2010 and they consist of the two members of Goat Synagogue, in the guitars and in the bass, while in vocals they have as a session member, the vocalist of Wargoat. In the self-titled demo we find three compositions, that as we can also understand by the excellent cover, of brutal, profane, Black Metal in the style of Archgoat, Blasphemy and maybe of the Greeks Embrace of Thorns. The cover deserves your attention because except that it puts you in the album’s dark atmosphere, it is also an impressing work of art. It is black and white, it reminds technically covers of Archgoat, Black Witchery etc., with the only coloured part, the blood.

Concerning the music, we won’t find anything innovative or new in the album. Brutal, fast riffs, repetitive but quite interesting. The guitars are dirty and heavy, while the little solos that exist, which remind of Bestial Warlust, Blasphemy, are played very well and give an element of paranoia and chaos to the tracks. The drums are fast, brutal and fill the compositions very well. Those who have listened to Wargoat, you know the vocals that exist in this album. Brutal, heavy Death/Black vocals in the style of the bands mentioned above, they highlight the tracks and make the atmosphere even darker.

The production is quite dirty and bassy without bothering the listener, although in some parts the drums are lost. The mix is quite good, as it puts out that massive sound that is needed by the compositions, while at the same time you can listen to every instrument and vocals. The lyrics are written in English but they are not contained in the cassette. Judging by the music, the cover and the tracks’ titles, they have to be dark and absolutely blasphemous.

Yes Αίμα don’t play anything that you haven’t already listened. But that is not the band’s purpose. Αίμα offer three tracks of bestial, old school Black Metal with its only purpose, destruction. Although it is a small sample (lasts for about ten minutes), they show good elements so I will be waiting for the next one. Those who have been searching for that kind of sound, buy it. The rest of you just skip it.