Origin : Taiwan
Genre : Melodic Black / Folk Metal
Release : 2002 (Taiwanese Version)
Album Info / Review
**Chthonic – Relentless Recurrence**
*Released: 2014 (Roadrunner Records)*
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### 1. First Impressions
From the opening bars of “Soars” the album throws you into a hybrid world where Eastern melodies collide with icy blast beats, all under the watchful eye of a symphonic choir. The record feels like a notebook for a full‑band orchestral epic, deliberately bright yet never losing its bite. Even before the first vocal line lands, the stacks of reverb‑laden guitars and layered keyboards hint at a production that aims to cradle every note in cinematic gravity.
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### 2. Soundscape and Atmosphere
Chthonic’s sonic architecture is layered, not just in the form of friction‑filled riffs but also through a listener‑engaging build‑up. The guitars roam on a distorted highway that oscillates between “twin‑lead” harmonies reminiscent of Celtic Rock and the snarling dissonance common in modern black metal. The strings—primarily played with an archaic 12‑string violin—flurry along, adding a quasi‑Shamanic texture that feels at once archaic and spectacularly contemporary.
Mid‑track, the choir swells, a vocal choir borrowed from the Taiwanese National Symphony Orchestra, bringing an almost sacred grandeur. Traditionally, choirs in this subgenre function as a backdrop; here, they take a starring role, weaving into the riffs as if they are the backbone, not just an atmospheric add‑on. The use of bombastic layers of synthesizers in “Radiant” stretches the range of the song’s emotional palette, granting the track a resonant, cathedral‑like echo that’s not undermined by the ripping guitar solos.
The tracklist carries an internal logic that nudges the ear forward. While the final track “Heresity” moves mid‑tempo, its consistent steady drum flow, single‑sticker synth backdrop, and less chaotic melodic content create a satisfying coda that actually elevates the album’s emotional story arc.
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### 3. Riffs and Melody
No chord progression on this album feels generic. Each riff is fitted with its own small narrative. For instance, “A Dead Soul Opens” departs from expectant drum patterns into a frenzy of double‑bass runs that mirror the red‑kissed background of yin‑yang symbols. The tremolo picking is cold, barely giving breathing room to the younger triple‑Rinfret hammering of the guitar lines.
Solo work is strictly Rafi Velazá (shanks) and possibly a guest from Thio Y. Timing is on point and the routes taken are inventive. The melody line beautifully deviates from the meta‑conservative approach, which is strikingly persistent. Tracks like “Mortal Masterpiece” and “In the Eyes of the Wild” handle the mix of fast alternative sections with ripped open riffs for a high emotional intensity that eventually balances the final rush at the end of the album.
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### 4. Production Quality
Production by Olivier Thymann gives an impeccably clean sound. Minus any clash between the bright guitar frequencies with the low end-heavy bass, the shout of tinny cymbals, and the clear picking of double kicks is each other’s dress coats. The stereo arrangement is a much needed step up from previous Chthonic albums in handling electronic and vocal elements. The lead vocal, led by Nil Heds, is well integrated in the mix, with both pitch and tonality defined by a subtle power. In the final moments of the track, likely due to a production mix choice, a listener may notice the sudden burst in the podcast’s melodic structure.
Scope leaves a bark and mongo bulk. For those who otherwise ditch the lossless version, the obvious translations of Rafi comes from the track due to a stretch with itself that is not ‘just’ in its sense for Rafi but beautifully matches the contextual melodies, liked.
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### 5. Overall Impression
While Chthonic is known for their “traditional” Black Metal fashion at times, this album presents a new, personal vision, refreshing and earnest. There is a sophisticated arrangement, with rich device adding to its new direction, producing a temperature that is not just glorious but also complex: explosive, // saturated with illustration.
It embraces the concept that foundation and intensity need both a raw base and rare.
