Channeling Unclean Spirits Demo #1
A welcomed surprise. Alioth present themselves with an intensity and confidence rarely executed so well on a recording of this era. "Channeling..." sounds like an excavation of the ancient metal tombs of Greece in their greatest era with a notable influence from Varathron and Rotting Christ. Do you remember the first time you heard "Walpurgisnacht"? The middle section of "Tleilaxu (The Unborn Child)" with its the thrashing triplets and quick, subtle leads or the clean, sorrowful, reverberating guitar interludes on "Casseopeia's Ode"? Perhaps the trademark rhythms found on "Non Serviam"? They've all been revisited on this recording with superb musicianship and a great appreciation of the ancient sound. Vocals as precise and convincing as the masters of old and a drum machine programmed by an actual drummer find a favorable mix into these unholy hymns. Its amazing how capable some are with what they have to work with and how wretched others are with their attempts (read: common era drum machine black metal). This demo should be a monument for its peers to kneel before - basking in its every nuance. Before you question the idea of a total "clone band", ask yourself what you've been trying to pass over as black metal the past 12 years. Darkthrone rip-off #21387340? Burzum clone #092340918A? All sorts of children guised under Occult imagery to distract you from the fact their metal is weaker than the rules their parents still impose on them. Bands like Varathron didn't have to play the games that bands have to play today. There didn't have to be descriptions with words like "suicide" or "kvlt" for their music to be appreciated for what it was. Alioth doesn't have to play these games today either and, despite the obvious influences, are one of a kind in the small handful of recent bands with releases of this caliber. They are what they are, they do what they do, and judging from this debut demo, they do it fucking well. - TRA

Pro-printed cover.