Acârash - In Chaos Becrowned

Groovy occult rituals in the forest.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on July 30th 2022) 

You know, there’s something really nice about seeing the Norwegian black metal scene still putting out new material. Not so much from the old guard (though their work is more often than not at the very least solid), but more so from fresh bands, especially ones who do something interesting with the sound. One of the more interesting bands to have come out there in recent memory is Acârash, and their 2018 debut, In Chaos Becrowned. I stumbled upon these guys by way of perusing my significant other’s playlists, and upon having my eye caught by the simple-but-effective artwork, I decided to give them a listen. What I found was an album that stuck in my head way more than I expected it to.

I say that because goodness me is this release catchy. The band conjures a frosty atmosphere thanks to a slew of sticky riffs and melodies that I regularly found myself thinking about at random moments throughout my day. It’s not often that I end up humming random parts of an album I had only listened to once, but it’s that exact quality that had me returning even outside of the obligatory listens I do for my reviews. There’s just so many of these occult rock-imbued segments, primarily thanks to the rock-steady drumming, which delivers simple, but effective beats on “Cadaver Dei” and “Gathering of Crows”, leading to very direct and instantly memorable songs. As for the leadwork, it has a slightly bluesy quality to it, albeit filtered through a black metal lens, as seen on the solo in “Shadows Roam”.

That’s not to say the band doesn’t have anything in the way of more intense riffing. After all, we’re still talking about a black metal band. There are more than a handful of traditional cold tremolo riffs to dig into, evidenced by the one that inaugurates the album, as well as some of the more explosive moments on “Shadows Roam”. There’s also a very nice harmony that appears at the start of “Ashes of the Mortal Mind”, it’s very low-key but oh so effective at setting the tone for what is one of the more brooding tracks here.

That leads me to another piece of the puzzle, and that is the doom influence. Now, upon checking the band’s page on the Archives and seeing them defined as “black/doom”, I expected something more along the lines of the extremely crushing and vitriolic works of Mizmor and Hell. Turns out, the band draws more from old-school doom metal, with simple downtempo riffs that I honestly didn’t expect to meld so well with black metal. Songs like the title track and “Sacrifice the Winter Wolf” ooze that classic doom metal feel, and combined with the more aggressive and hostile nature of black metal, you end up getting a release that despite its unlikely marriage of two sounds, manages to stay cohesive and not feel at odds with itself.

All these characteristics are brought together by a very solid, if simple, production. It rides this “mid-fi” line, where it maintains a sense of clarity and crispness, while at the same time having enough bark and heft so as to not feel too clean. The cold, buzzing guitars are the main star of the show, delivering the brunt of the music’s force, aided by the distorted rumble of the bass, which follows along without much fuss, but is always felt. As for the aforementioned drums, they’re there, and while not particularly obtrusive, there are moments they come to the forefront, like on the double-bass run on “Sacrifice the Winter Wolf”. Even the raspy vocals are well placed, serving as a spectral presence over the music. It will neither amaze nor repulse anyone, but it does deliver a very organic sound, and it’s good for what the band is going for.

That being said, it’s not a perfect release, and it does have some drawbacks that prevent it from scoring higher for me. First and foremost, the track “Legio Obscura” is just there, I didn’t find myself being too engaged by it and it just felt like filler near the end. There’s also the fact that the album is a little one dimensional, and it reveals most of its tricks within the first 3 tracks. Which is fine if you don’t mind a little bit of predictability in your music, it’s still a project worth revisiting whenever you’re looking for something that is simple and to the point, even if a little lacking in surprises.

In Chaos Becrowned is an injection of occult fun. Its combination of sounds results in an addictive, and at times ritualistic, experience that doesn’t sacrifice either genre at the cost of the other. You get rasps and tremolo riffs, as well as groovy doom sections, all wrapped up in a neat package that holds value both for newcomers to black metal, as well as more seasoned listeners. It’s neither a paragon of extremity nor accessibility, but it’s a damned good time, and sometimes that’s all you need from music.

Highlights: Cadaver Dei, Shadows Roam, Ashes of the Mortal Mind

Rating: 84%