Aetherius Obscuritas ‎"MMXV" CD

This release is the band's seventh full length and their strongest to date. What's also appealing to me is that this is their second album in a row to clock in under 40 minutes. Most bands squeeze in so much useless material that it disables the listener by the 4th song. The band sounds lean, mean and ready to annihilate the world of metal.
I think it's great that Viktor continues to sing in his native Hungarian tongue. It gives all the more mystery to their lyrics as well as their imagery. We continue to see Viktor handling all musical duties except the drums, which are handled by Zson. Tracks like the opener Nesztelen jon az ej and Bezart Vilag create a unique blend of brutality and atmospheric overtones. One may compare their musical mayhem to Immortal. Zson secures a steady tempo throughout the album keeping the band from sounding to chaotic and sloppy. The track Terkepet Rajzol az ido tolla is the stand out track of the record. Galloping rhythms, keyboards that create an eerie spooky atmosphere and guitar work that adds brutality to their unique black metal sound.
What makes this album superior are the rhythms ranging from mid-paced to blasting black metal ferocity. The song Csorba has a memorable darker sounding melody that stirs morbid thoughts and chaotic visions. Truth is Liar is a great song. The chorus reminds me of latter day Satyricon. The tempos slow down to mid paced with a death and roll groove fused with some Dissection influenced guitar work.
Mmxv doesn't stray too far from the black/death metal sound they create. All the scowling and growling is recorded quite well, with allowing a brisk mayhem on all frequencies of the record.
Overall I think the band has paid their dues out their in the world of underground metal. With Mmxv, people that want to hear good musicianship and quick no nonsense songwriting should give this a spin.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...