Death metal has its roots in campy horror films with unsettling soundscapes, unconventional song structures and demonic vocals. It is the perfect sandbox to experiment and unnerve listeners.
Chthe’ilist plays music as difficult to digest as their name is to pronounce. For anyone searching for the sonic equivalent to Lovecraftian horror — cosmic horror — “Le Dernier Crépuscule” is a worthy pick.
Outside a short instrumental intro, each track is a 6-13 minute exercise in discomfort. For the best listening experience and to understand Chthe’ilist’s intentions, pull up a copy of the lyrics while listening. Instead of typical lyrical forms, the band opts for prose instead, with lyrics which read as short horror stories.
The themes are familiar, with tales of descents into the underworld or encounters with fantastical beasts ending in death, but the basic plots suffice for a legitimately ghoulish atmosphere.
Fans of the “Legend of Zelda” series will be pleased to find the album’s closing number is dedicated to the backstory of “Majora’s Mask,” one of the darkest entries in the series.
As any horror aficionado can attest, it’s not enough to have scary elements. Rather, these elements must be arranged in just the right way to maximize suspense and shock. These short tales, however, aren’t fleshed out enough on their own to warrant fear, but Chthe’ilist manages to work these fables in tandem with the surrounding music.
The riffs and soundscapes recall classic underground act Timeghoul, with a bent on technicality which suffocates the ear instead of simply sounding impressive. The vocals tend toward low, indecipherable growls, although a few uses of what sound like high-pitched squeals sent through a vocoder are enough to make one wonder if Chthe’ilist enlisted the Predator as a featured vocalist.
The general production style sounds like the inside of a wet dark cavern, and nowhere is this sense of claustrophobia more apparent than the final stretch of “Tales of the Majora Mythos Part 1.”
For three minutes, any sense of cohesiveness or even rhythm are thrown out the window in favor of an all-out assault on the ears. A blur of blast beats and squealing pinch harmonics gives weight to the song’s harrowing tale of the apocalyptic descent of the moon.
Admittedly, the supernatural horror on display has a very limited audience. Anyone who enjoys authors like Lovecraft or Poe, has been sucked into the terrifying realms of games like “Bloodborne” or is just looking to step outside of their comfort zone should give Chthe’ilist a chance. This isn’t something to return to for its catchy hooks, but rather for the hooks it drives under the skin with its atmosphere and sheer chaos.
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