Album Review: Yoth Iria - Gone with the Devil
Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez
"This time we entered the studio with the clear intention of creating a landmark album for the band."
Quite as succinct and direct as it can get for a band and their ambitions for their upcoming release. In this case, Yoth Iria. The post-black metal band from Greece, a nation which has produced the likes of Septic Flesh, Rotting Christ, and Firewind. Yoth Iria aim to follow in their footsteps and put their stamp on the world of extreme metal with their third studio release.
The album kicks off with ‘Dare To Rebel’, and immediately you can sense that Yoth Iria are going hard with the theatrics and creating this grandiose dramatic feel to the music. This is achieved through the deployment of the string and pipes in the background, adding a mysterious quality, whilst the vocals almost feel like a chant, a ritual summoning. This pattern continues into ‘Woven Spells of a Demon’, where the music takes a more darkened symphonic twist; epic, melodic yet ethereal and cryptic. Nikolas and Naberius show off their guitar skills here and in ‘The Blind Eye of Antichrist’, whilst the chant like vocals continue and provide the first true earworm of the album. So far so good, but it feels like neither Yoth Iria nor “Gone With The Devil” have got into full gear yet. It feels as though they’re holding something back…
You’d be right to assume that, because during ‘I, Totem’ Yoth Iria up the ante considerably with a blistering effort that’s as opulent as it is cathartic! Whereas the instruments had distinct roles and identities up until now, you can hear them lock in to create an intense atmospheric wall of sound! It’s safe to say Yoth Iria have really upped their game with “Gone With The Devil” so far, and surpasses their previous efforts.
‘3am’ and ‘Give ‘Em My Beautiful Hell’ provide folk like ballads such is the instantly memorable and addictive vocal performances of each, and also the rhythmic foundations on which the band’s sound is built on. Whilst they flirt with going route one with the blast beats on occasion, Vongaar conjures up unorthodox and hypnotic rhythmic patterns from behind the drums whilst Mutilator locks in and provides the thunderous heartbeat to proceedings, with the end result a foot tapping, hip swinging, head banging feast for the senses! Though they really pile on the pressure and gravity with during ‘The End Of The Known Civilization’, where the once melodic and aesthetic guitars join to provide a distorted bone crunching edge that hits like a bludgeon!
A 10 track album feels rather ambitious in this day and age, but it feels like a genuine pleasure and gratifying experience to get through “Gone Through The Devil”. So much so that it’s somewhat bittersweet to get to the final track ‘Government Fallen’ seemingly as soon as the album has just begun. One of the distinct qualities is the guitar work, reminiscent of melodic black metal acts Dissection and Vinterland such is the lulling and trance like nature. Though this another track which seems to follow the theme of the album; anthemic vocal chants, a pulsating and solid rhythmic section, all underlined by an epic and theatrical impression.
Yoth Iria aimed to make a statement, and they did exactly that “Gone With The Devil”!
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