Judas Iscariot -- The Cold Earth Slept Below

by Joe
(United States)

Judas Iscariot, previously the one man vocation for Andrew Harris, has surprisingly enough managed to attain success despite what they probably inspired most (next to the early material of Varg Vikernes)-- the one-man 'bedroom' style of black metal that is extremely easy to butcher given it is not executed correctly.

This offering (being the debut of the band) has many great qualities and is by far the least dynamic release Harris has proffered. Besides, dynamics seldom matter to many listeners.

Although Akhenaten would eventually abandon the peculiarly enrapturing style embraced on his debut, much of the latent qualities in his latter works still remain, which is why I believe this release is perhaps most crucial to his success. After all, it 'bucked' his start.

From the start, the music on this album is rather mid-paced, dark and gloomy. One thing that Akhenaten has perhaps best managed to pronounce is the atmosphere that is engraved into the production quality. It is the best (is most 'filthy' or 'unrefined') of his currently standing releases.

It makes the album what is it. Coldness and aggression are 2 playful themes that come to the mind to sufficiently describe this; the individual riffs thwart across the surface, endowing the atmosphere with an icy cold, yet melodic feel.

Some parts need correction, but rather than spur the perfection, I feel they add to the almost extemporaneous feeling and quality that tends to dominate this particular gem.

The track that stands out the most to me would by far be the title track. The ominously dull and slow intro never fails to achieve its most obvious purpose.

Just when the listener believes Akhenaten might be transmogrify the scape in favor of a more assertive and forward onslaught, the individual pacing derived primarily through the riffs and pronounced percussion/drums remains the same. The techniques employed here are extremely effective, never failing to achieve their macroscopic purpose.

The final track is an ode to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Without even having any knowledge of the title, one knows what to expect; a strenuously-outed and painstaking composition dedicated to philosophy itself.

This is the perfect ending for the album.