Year: 2020
Total Time: 29:58
Label: Self-Financed
This release came like bomb in March 2020, as for several years it had been very quiet in the Athenians Black Metallers camp. HIMONAS was introduced to us back in 2013 with their amazing debut “To The Battlements” (released only on tape format) creating quite noise in the underground and then disappearing. But they returned very dynamically this year with their second album and unfortunately their last, as A. announced that this project has reached its end.
The album starts with the instrumental intro “Το Τίμημα” which, with its dungeon/synth approach, creates a mystical atmosphere for the next song, “Νεκροφάνεια”, which is an eight-minute Black Metal anthem. An orgasm of angry Black Metal riffs influenced by the Finnish Black Metal scene, furious speeds that, combined with A’s sick vocals that spits the lyrics in the form of a complaint about the organized religion that oppresses man, there’s no way they’ll leave you untouched.
The anger that has been created in our soul is crumbling (for now) with the second instrumental “Côte-Des-Neiges” and its frozen mid-tempo Black Metal rhythm. We continue with ” Μετανεωτερική Aισθητική Θανάτου”, with the guitars wailing and A.’s throat sounds like it is ready to explode by the passionate singing for the “wonderful world” we live in. Furious Black metal rhythms, combined with the melodic mid-tempo breakdowns and their BURZUM-like magic atmosphere, capable of freezing hell over. The end for the album comes with ” Η Γέννηση, η Ακμή́ και η Παρακμή́ του Δυτικού́ Παραδείγματος” an instrumental synthesis with keyboards that is the ideal outro for the Black Metal torrent we experienced. It’s really amazing that the band managed to write Black Metal songs, mostly at high speeds, almost eight minutes long each, without a mediocre moment or becoming tedious.
HIMONAS, unfortunately, ends their musical journey and vision with one of the best Black Metal releases of 2020. They manage to combine raw feelings with melody. Furthermore, the punk/hardcore hearty vocal approach with Greek lyrics give a sinister beauty to the record. In “Himonas” we hear Black Metal as it should be, frozen, violent, angry and uncompromising.
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: ΧΕΙΜΩΝΑΣ – Facebook Page
