A sort of intro in the vein of King Diamond "Them" came on, when suddenly it came to life with a hellish torrent of noise like the scream of a demon and proceeded to steamroll forwards on a darkly churning riff. I hadn't noticed it before, but that was my introduction to "Slaves to the Dawn" and the album "Fury of The Scorned Witch". There is a lot of power held inside the underrated vaults of this release. I actually think that this album is much closer to black metal. However, the influences come more from Heavy, Thrash , and like i said BM. which tended to be more diverse than the current BM bands these days. The faster songs, particularly those that stick to a simpler format, take a killer route. You will either like or dislike this album depending on whether the atmosphere takes hold of you or not. For me this album is more mature than their early works and it rules. Great melodies, plus the additions of keyboard and female vocals by Mariela Muerte, both of which is a lethal combination in the way she delivers. For me, the atmosphere works because it isn't exactly your typical black metal atmosphere, the weird hints of disturbance are evil; this is like watching yourself plan to assault and mutilate a stranger, the faster parts of the album work well, with slightly more complex riffs and a rushing, euphoric feeling to them, which perhaps resembles the feeling when you step back into your own mind to deliberate those acts of knowing cruelty. Faethom follow a path in many different directions: perhaps the general style of the album may be a surprise. They focus on creeping atmospheres and avalanching riffs. Don’t compare it to other bands; just take it for what it is: an individual album. Good job !
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Review by Paul Caravasi
