Haissem - Aeon Citadel

Haissem is a one-man black metal band from Ukraine, who formed in 2014.  “Aeon Citadel” is the project's 10th studio album; two EPs have also been released.

Andrey Tollock (who also has an incredible doom project called Sunset Forsaken) handles all the instruments and vocals. He's had a long time to hone his craft and “Aeon Citadel,” proves that he only gets better as time passes. I've reviewed several Haissem albums in the past and “Aeon Citadel” may just be the band's best. 

The album has a really good flow. It's just four songs but none of them are less than 8 minutes and just one is under 10. These songs definitely don't feel long as they are written very smartly, pieced together by daring moments of creative passages and memorable melodies. 

It dives fully into its blackened sound, but it is adventurous and uses the time well to provide each song with reasons to not only keep listening but also a reason to return.  Each song fits into the overall whole of the album, but they also feel like self-contained worlds so this album is perfect for enjoying it straight through or on an individual song basis.

As always with Haissem, the production is amazing. It's clear enough for all the details to pop but there is a raw presence, especially in the vocals and guitar tone. I'm a firm believer that black metal doesn't have to sound like a dirty diaper and I'm glad Haissem continued to embrace that logic.

The first song, “The Authenticity of Pious Disdain,” is one of the darkest songs Haissem has done.  The riffs have an evil tone but also a layer of foggy dismal elements over them.  Within seconds, the guitar and vocals push themselves over the atmosphere of the song, stretching a ghastly hand but guided by type rhythms.  The lead guitar creates a catchy melody that matches the dark nature but adds in a groove that keeps the song flowing.   I love how despite its darkness, the song doesn’t mind venturing into melodic waters.   These little flavors sprinkled across the song really help keep it memorable and offer a consistently fresh perspective. 

“Alleged Insight,” begins just as immediate but this one is already locked in with a solid groove in the drums.  The vocals ride across the crest of this wave, as the harmonies crash against the powerful rhythm generated by the bass.  This song isn’t quite as dense as the opening song, but its opening allows for constant change that doesn’t feel like it is rushed—these progresses very naturally.  The song really kicks up a notch after the two-minute mark, I’m really feeling the rhythms here and the vocal patterns that move alongside them.  The drums and guitar hit simultaneously as the song races for the three-minute mark—killer stuff. The song has some progressive flavoring in the riffs after the 7-minute mark, a nice addition that features some of the best guitar work on the album. 

“Ablaze,” blazes through with one hell of a melody—this song immediately grabbed my attention and never let go.  This is probably the most melodic song on the album, but the rhythms grow much more intense as it hurtles towards the halfway point.  After the 6:27 mark, the song hits stride with standout guitar work that throws in a bunch of notes like a hurricane but one with a direct path and goal. It progresses into a killer solo as the drums and bass jam out before the song once again slides into a catchy, slick melody that compliments the song nicely. 

The final song is the nearly 11-minute epic “Alien God Emanation/The Feathered Reptiles,” and it's one of the best songs the band has written.  There are a lot of moments, such as the beginning, where the song builds itself up to a massive crescendo.   It will then settle down with melodic moments before building back up again.  A lot of the guitar work, such as around the 3:40 mark, is rather energetic and frenzied.  The galloping effect is awesome—should black metal be this memorable?  Yes, yes it should.  The last couple minutes have some more proggy work in the riffs and the vocals match the craziness as the song culminates into a beast of a finish.

Haissem’s “Aeon Citadel,” is a truly memorable extreme metal experience and is a good example of just how enjoyable black metal can be when the musician involved isn't afraid to do what he wants and let the songs naturally progress from there.

Rating: Excellent