ALBUM REVIEW: Calyx – Vientos Arcaicos

Here I review the debut full length from Medieval Black Metallers CALYX, set for release via Iron Bonehead Productions on May 17th. This release promises old school Black Metal mayhem…

1. Intro comes in with strong snare drums, a militant feel immediately present before glistening acoustic guitars build a gorgeous tranquil atmospheric in contrast to the hardened drums. This introduction was a beautiful piece of music in its own right and will surely develop into some killer Bathory influenced material, or at least I hope.

2. La venganza de las brujas fires us in with barrages of tremolo picked guitar riffs and demonic drum hits, ferocious vocals quickly adding to the relentless aggression of the track. There is an immediate memorable groove in the melodies which takes you back the classic Black Metal bands but with a refreshed sound that does not feel like a cheap nostalgia trick. There is some nice slower atmospherics that add to the groove of the piece while keeping the ritualistic and primal nature of the song held strong. Also introduced in this song is some more folky melodics that show a strong and diverse ability within the band that is very impressive and well-utilised. With chaos but also a tight sense of musicianship, this song immediately shows us what the band is capable of with a ripping piece of true Black Metal that just fires out total mayhem, an incredibly strong way to introduce themselves.

3. Asedio Infernal continues the barbaric savagery with well built in drums and grisly riffs, tearing away any ideas of weakness in the music. Blasting us with screams and speedy riffs, the influence of bands like Morbosidad becomes very clear with a totally menacing and anguishing sense of hatred in the music. The skilfully played instrumentals are superb but still retain a much more old school primal quality, showing that while excellent at their craft, the band do not sacrifice to raw aggressive aesthetics of the music. I love the use of some mental guitar leads that perfectly fit the decimating grind of the song and do not detract from the monolithic energy of the rhythm. This track is another blistering piece of masterfully created Black Metal with tons of excellent Speed Metal influence that just howls of the early 90s, absolutely incredible.

4. La Sima forces itself into fruition with thunderous drums followed by gruellingly dark riffs and howled vocals. There is a more melancholic touch to this piece but it still retains the savagery of its predecessors. Folky melodics make a re-appearance that just drive in the beautiful atmospheric qualities of the album with the still brutal soundscape remaining ever-strong. The convulsive groove of the piece is captivating with a hard-hitting drum performance to punctuate the rhythmic guitar work and tormented screams. Light synths are utilised really beautifully to add a stunningly haunting dynamic to the shredding mayhem of the song. There is also some excellently drawn out sections which add such a great foreboding feel to the ritualistic vibe of the album. Wonderfully done.

5. Bajo el firmamento nocturno blasts out piercingly melodic guitar and bass work with hammering drums and a totally ferocious conjuration of dark Heavy Metal is summoned. The sharp howled vocals over the soaring instrumentals sounds absolutely killer with a violent yet tranquil vibe to the song. In parts it grows dissonant with some gruesome songwriting being utilised to make an unnervingly emotive track. A well contrasted piece that adds a nice variety in terms of feeling from the album while still including some epic punchy sections. Glorious!

6. Vientos Arcaicos starts off with ambient sampling and striking bass, sparse and atmospheric in nature. Pristine guitars slowly fade in and out, adding a hypnotic effect before we are pummelled with energetic blast beats, meaty riffs and hellish screams. The frenzied aggression and biting force of the piece really hits hard after such a peaceful introduction, clearly a well thought out contrast. Suddenly the song develops into galloping NWOBHM style rhythms that are just gorgeous when coupled with the mean vocals and glacial lead guitars, sort of like a Blackened Iron Maiden thing going on that I adore. There is plenty of the bands more traditionally chaotic, high-octane verses with blasting instrumentals and hastily howled vocals. We also see the re-introduction of old school synths which add a haunting Bathory vibe to the music while letting the core band take the foreground. Fantastic.

7. Bosque Muerto draws in with feeding back guitars before belting us with more monolithic, primal and menacing instrumentals. The grinding ferocity of the guitars and hellish hammering drum assaults make the perfect backup to the demented vocals that tear right into you with the savagery of the whole band working in unison to make a truly violent and beautifully old school attack. This track (like many others on this album) shows the band using melody in a way that does not feel melodic, which may seem like a stupid statement but what I mean by it is (taking this track for instance), there is gorgeously soaring guitar work that is musically brilliant yet played with a truly violent energy. The slower tempo sections also add to this effect with doomy bleakness being involved in a way that does not at all detract from the songs headbanging pace, however it does add some beautifully churning atmospherics. Genius.

8. Loarre is the finale for the album, something I have no idea what to expect from. The piece starts off with more ambient wind samples and some folky guitars with pounding drum beats. A unique beginning the final track of the album, creating a memorable song from the onset. Firing in blindingly gruesome guitar riffs and tastefully built drum work, the vocals complete the mix as we are drawn into one last battle-hardened song filled with the groove of the earlier tracks and the ferocious grinding attack of the band giving it their all. There is a slightly more melancholic and reserved feel to this piece which I think comes naturally with a closing song but with that being said, there is still plenty of aggression and bite present too. An awesome ending to a wicked album.

If you want your Black Metal to be thrashy, aggressive and filled with old school spitefulness, then this is the perfect album. With similar energy to bands like Profanatica, Mystifier and Sarcofago but with added melodic flourishes and atmospherics, this release has it all. An exciting and violent piece of totally ferocious Extreme Metal. -9/10