Nestled somewhere between the realms of Black Metal, Heavy Metal and Rock ‘n’ Roll sits Hexakosioihexekontahexaphilia; a Dutch solo project from Tiúval who has graced our presence previously as a part of Half Visible Presence and Blutvial amongst others. This new cassette demo marks his debut under the Hexakosioihexekontahexaphilia banner, and in case you were wondering, the name refers to a person who has a debilitating fear of the number 666. Caligari Records, more known for their Death Metal output have jumped on board for the releasing duties of this two track debut offering.
Opener ‘The Burning of A Temple’ features the hallmarks of Black Metal, from the colder style of riffs to the darkened melodies. However, the catchy nature of the guitar rhythms and the dualling vocal styles that fluctuate between harsher roars and chanted cleaner tones, mixed with thundering drumming and surging riffs give off a varied, chaotic and engaging sound that seems to take influence from far further afield such as Heavy Metal, Rock ‘n’ Roll and even a little Death and Thrash Metal. A fast paced track for the most part, ‘The Burning of A Temple’ also hosts moments of simpler, more atmospheric harmonies that contrast well with the usual aggressive style.
To close with, Tiúval offers up ‘Always One Step Too Far’; A more mid-paced track with a maniacal edge to the melodies and a vocal style that brings to mind the work of Fenriz side project Isengard! Another unmissable feature is the greater reliance on bass tones, as Tiúval lets loose with chunky and rapid bass solos and leads to great effect. A short offering to start with but one that showcases a diverse style and range of influences. I’m also a fan of the artwork which has a style that I’ve found used on many Dutch Black Metal releases.
