The Last Knell ‎"Præterhuman (The Spectrum Of Aphelion)" CD

The Last Knell are a band hailing from Santiago/Chile that had been dwelling in obscurity before having been discovered by German masters of everything dark and devastating Schattenkult Produktionen. After one full length and several singles and EPs they are back with their second album titled “Præterhuman (The Spectrum of Aphelion)”.
The crawling bleakness and the haunting harmonies building the backbone to the heavy instrumentation are a very important factor to the overall picture that is painted on this record. While the tempo is kept in mid- to up-tempo most of the time there are some slower sections helping to ramp up the atmosphere. The songwriting is great with some well-placed tempo changes giving the whole album a great flow. While there are some impressive solo pieces the song structures are never too complicated making this album quite easy to enjoy from the first moment on. The lead guitars are mainly used to create slightly disturbing soundscapes and not for some technical wankery.
The drumming is especially aggressive attacking the listener with blast-beat parts without pausing but also surprising with a few calmer sections. The guy behind the kit has a feeling for the right groove and together with the nicely audible bass the rhythm section works as a great team.
Each of the four tracks clocks in between five and six minutes so there is always some kind of build-up and various sections within each single song. The sequences of the various parts have been chosen in a way to make each track feel diversified yet stringent at the same time. The trademark chords are complemented by superb drum work, well considered patterns that enhance the outstanding guitar work and a predominant rasping growl of a delivery that ascends to a blackened gurgling scream, both deliver with clarity the lyrical content.
“Præterhuman (The Spectrum of Aphelion)” comes with a flawless and powerful production. The mix is raw yet clear and the overall sound is very transparent but not sterile. The drums have an immense punch and a pretty “steely” sound and even the bass is audible. The Last Knell have delivered a highly professional product that is easily on par with the works of better known bands. If you like your black metal rough and relentless yet emotional then this record should be on your list.

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