Band:	An Axis Of Perdition
Album:	Apertures
Style:	Industrial black metal
Release date:	December 13, 2024
A review by:	X-Ray Rod

01. Corrupted Pulse
02. Metempsychosis
03. The Undercity Awaits
04. Chant Of The Worshipful Prey
05. Sewer Of Lethe
06. The Truth Is There To Tear Apart
07. Unimaginable Depths
08. Private Acts Of Abnegation
09. Flesh Underfoot
10. I Am Odium

An axis in need of direction. An axis in need of a purpose. This is An Axis Of Perdition showcasing, not so kindly, how industrial black metal needs to be done.

Last year, I covered a decent number of band comebacks. Some of them were unexpected. Some of them were easily predicted due to the bands’ constant presence on stage as well as online. I’m not entirely sure in which camp An Axis Of Perdition belongs to. But one thing is sure: They have been teasing their return for a long time.

Industrial black metal is one of the biggest oxymorons in our heavy metal cult. Black metal is a genre that regularly takes pride in its sonic purity, but a genre so volatile was bound to have true anarchists hidden in their ranks. Acts like Mysticum and Godkiller disrupted the order of things pretty early on. The 2000s were the time when this fusion of sounds was most popular; your Aboryms and Mayhems did their part but the style had not been perfected until bands like Blut Aus Nord and An Axis Of Perdition came along. While the former dived into mysterious, metaphysic waters and had an industrial sound in only a couple of records, An Axis Of Perdition went all in with the genre and focused on intense visceral horror via their Silent Hill themes.

In the beginning, their music was extremely harsh and leaned more heavily towards black metal, with the noisy industrial elements felt through the pulsating drum machine, unnerving synthwork and clinical production. Slowly but surely, the group managed to incorporate dark ambient and noise in a more cohesive manner, which resulted in what many consider their best works, Deleted Scenes From The Transition Hospital and Urfe. These were albums with an almost 50/50 division between metal and non-metal elements (in the case of Urfe, even less metal), yet they were by far the darkest, most immersive works the band had produced. Somewhere along the way, An Axis Of Perdition lost their identity, as Tenements took far too many pages from Deathspell Omega’s book: a bizarre choice, given that these Brits had already achieved their own style of dissonant music (and much earlier than the French band).

With Effluvia being pretty much a remix of Urfe and having been released several years after its creation, Apertures counts as the true return of this secretive band. They have managed to look back on their catalogue, learn from it and update their style for the current era. It pleases me to say that An Axis Of Perdition is back on track with the menacing industrial black metal that only they were sick enough to master. Alternating between ominous interludes and lengthier tracks, one can say that Apertures is actually five long songs that fluctuate between dark ambient/drone and intense industrial black metal. The aggressiveness of their debut album, The Ichneumon Method, is present here, but the drum machine programming is significantly more modern and has the best sound the band has ever had. The same goes with the guitars and bass really; the sound is pristine and detailed. It’s not overly harsh as it was in the past, but the tradeoff allows for intriguing contrasts between the dissonant riffs, the shrieking vocals and the bouncy bass that is far groovier than what one might expect from these guys. Along with the extra oomph provided by the potent beats, An Axis Of Perdition have created a thick atmosphere that seems to stretch and twist the listener’s mind like a black hole would. While I was a bit baffled at first by the very decisive structure of the album, which alternates between the band’s two different types of tracks, it does provide proper breathing room. Also, it’s not like the ambient interludes are calming; they are taking cues straight from the nightmare factory that was Deleted Scenes From The Transition Hospital, and elevate the mood accordingly.

Just like a certain video game returned to possess its fans with its captivating sense of mental horror, An Axis Of Perdition is back with a vengeance, with modern technology and extra flavour to boot. The new slick sound enhances all the spine-tingling elements that made this band legendary. Apertures fleshes out their style, yet the cold, uncaring and inhuman tone of their music is as present as ever. All axes shall guide us to our doom. They shall lead us to our silent hills.