Album Review: Vithial – Awakened Ancient Spirits

Musically complicated but good

Extreme metal band Vithial are known for dazzling people’s minds with chaotic music and a few days ago, the band released their album Awakened Ancient Spirits, which is great in how it leans into the second wave of black metal by combining raw and relentless instrumentation filled with a despaired and anguished vocal performance. Each track is generally fast paced with extreme metal, but with more polished musical elements.

The title track, “Awakened Ancient Spirits,” has an intro that bleeds extreme and black metal with killer sounds and the same thing happens in “Tornadic Wind, the Barons of Nightfall.” What is truly enjoyable about both tracks is how listeners can hear how wonderfully complex the instrumental breaks are. The surging guitar playing, maddening drum beats and shrill vocal performances display how the band has successfully mastered their musical talents, which shows on both tracks.

Now, “War of the Gods, the Balance of Darkness and Light” is another complicated number that has a very sharp mix of extreme and black metal. While listening, the top notch vocal performance seals the deal with shrieking vocal tones that highly complement the demanding theme. Also, the lead guitar shines brightly due to how each heart-jolting riff smacks the background with a shearing noise that is very like a harder style of Metallica.

An oddly satisfying piece is “Soul Incarceration, the Covenant of Blood” and at first, it sounds like the whole thing is going to be instrumental, which is fine, but Vithial has other plans because a few short seconds later, the commanding vocal performance screams out the deep lyrics while the track continues to rage havoc. Honestly, if this composition stayed instrumental, everything would have sounded much more powerful.

If people have a craving to hear bombastic and complicated metal, this album will satisfy that hunger with outstanding musicianship, talent and creativity from the band. Surely, each tune will sound just as crazy live as well.