Band:	Oathean
Album:	Fading Away Into The Grave Of Nothingness
Style:	Melodic black metal
Release date:	September 2004

01. Distant Requiem Buried Within
02. Wandering Soul
03. From The Depths Of Despair
04. The Origin
05. A Life Of Suffering Craving The Darkness
06. Voice Of My Soul
07. Beyond The Memories I Lost
08. Scent Of Longing
09. Road To...
10. In Fear With Shiver [live bonus]
11. The Money From The Tobacco Pouch [bonus]

Quality Gothenburg Metal from South Korea!! Oathean, latest addition to the international roster of US-based The End Records, a real promising band in the field of Melodic Black/Death Metal just released "Fading Away Into The Grave Of Nothingness", their third album. Even though the artwork tends to let you think about a pure Black Metal design, band logo included, there is no uncertainty about Oathean's musical style. Ever wonder what it would sound like if you'd merge Nightwish-like keyboards into old-school Death Metal a la Dark Tranquillity with Black folk influences? If you want to know, just listen to this album and you'll see what a fine idea it is.

The creative songwriting constantly shines through the use of atmospheric keys and folk influences here and there while concentrating the main melody on the guitars and vocals. The whole thing sounds brilliant, very artistic at times and overall very energizing with voices a la Children Of Bodom and powerful riffs laid on solid rhythm grounds. Some songs such as 'The Origin' and 'Voice Of My soul' focus more on Melodic Black Metal aspects [Dimmu Borgir' style] but overall this album is a great package of aggressive Melodic Death with influences like Dark Tranquillity, Luciferion and Skyfire. As for the originality, Oathean even recorded a song in Korean, translated as 'Scent Of Longing' and what sounds like a Korean folk instrumental track to round up the album.

The record also features two bonus tracks, a monumental live song 'In Fear With Shiver' and another strange blend of Korean female singing and Black shrieks. Overall, the best tracks are 'Wandering Soul', ' From The Depths Of Despair' and 'The Origin'.

The production is crystal-clear and present Oathean's music on a great angle, although a dirtier sound should have made it easier to relate their work to their genre.

In a nutshell, Oathean is a nice surprise and if you're craving some imaginative Melodic Death/Black Metal, this album should come in handy. Interesting ideas and great implementation, "Fading Away Into The Grave Of Nothingness" should get your attention. With this album, Oathean could simply conquer the Scandinavian scene.


Highlights: 'Wandering Soul', ' From The Depths Of Despair' and 'The Origin'