The spooky season is upon us, dear reader, so let’s crack into something a little bit on the dark side, shall we? Drink deep from that good ol’ cup of heresy. This week’s offerings: Esoctrilihum’s Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur and Arkane Aleworks’ Quake Boss.

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The Tunes: Esoctrilihum’s Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur

It is always a treat when an I, Voidhanger release graces our promo page; I know I can count on getting some music that is both high quality and also way off the beaten path. I was not overly familiar with Esoctrilihum before writing this piece, but if I was blindfolded and had Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur put on for me, I think I would immediately be able to tell what label the French project was on. If you couldn’t tell from the stunning cover art, Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur is an album that blends black metal with an extremely healthy dose of symphonic elements (in the form of “orchestral maladies”) and a brand of esoteric spiritualism and mythology developed entirely by sole member Asthâghul. He calls it Annochiül Magic, and the purpose is self-discovery and catharsis through using music to contact ancient, unknowable god-like entities, each a projection of a different mental disorder like depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and schizophrenia, in order to draw on hidden magic through pacts with them. Indeed, each of the nine tracks on Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur is named for one such entity, and each monstrous track features Asthâghul alternating his incantations between a retched howl and a falsetto wail as he reaches out beyond the heavens and “battles the ghosts of his psyche – and loses.”

Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur is allegedly the most symphonic of all of Esoctrilihum’s discography, and that’s easy to believe: almost every song on here leads with and places the orchestration front and center.  Of course, there are tracks like the brutal “Belthesboor, Ury Fortras Majestrix Daîvostre Shaydos” and “Zhaos, Manyakar Uxilon Oz Tetramorphic Ghül” (try saying that five times fast) that lead with crunchy riffs, abundant blast beats and growled vocals, but most of this album is much more built around the theatricality of orchestral arrangements and meditative interludes between all the chaos.  If you’re looking for symphonic sounds that sound…ultra realistic, this probably won’t be the album for you; the orchestra really sounds like it was worked out in a DAW, but I don’t mind.  It’s still pretty impressive to me that one guy actually managed to pull all this off, while sticking to a vision and an aesthetic the whole way through.  I can’t exactly say that I’m a fan of the, quite honestly, goofy-ass falsetto vocals Asthâghul employs on this album, but you know what?  The guy approaches this release with such conviction of spirit that I understand *why* they’re there, and I can see the fullness of what he’s trying to do.  Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur is truly unlike anything else out there, and I would expect no less from an I, Voidhanger release.

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Annochiül Xar Sorthïlazur is out now on, you guessed it, I, Voidhanger Records.  For more information on Esoctrilihum, keep an eye on I, Voidhanger’s Facebook page, because Asthâghul “does not engage with any social media platforms for [his] representation.”

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The Booze: Arkane Aleworks’ Quake Boss

Another beer that fell into my lap thanks to my new favorite hangout spot in our neighborhood, Quake Boss sold me from one look at the label.  Arkane are a brewery that I have had my eye on for a while (because their logo is also suitably awesome), but Quake Boss was my first time pulling the trigger.  I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed.  I love me a good oatmeal stout and this is a great one.  It’s got everything I’m looking for: a good roasty backbone without tasting too charred, sweetness from the oats, deep maltiness from the grain and a full body on the tongue.  However, there’s a lightness to Quake Boss that I wasn’t expecting and that makes it a lot easier drinking than stouts normally get.  The crispness of the hops doesn’t get buried underneath all the heavy dark notes, and it helps elevate things and round out the flavor profile into something that I could drink again and again.

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Until next we cross paths, cheers and be good to each other.

— Ian