Band:	Barshasketh
Album:	Antinomian Asceticism
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	January 09, 2025
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Radiant Aperture
02. Nitimur In Vetitum
03. Lebenswelt Below
04. Charnel Quietism
05. Phaneron Engulf
06. Antinomian Asceticism
07. Exultation Of Ceaseless Defiance

I don't know about you, but an album titled Antinomian Asceticism by a band known for their unorthodox method of disso-black doesn't sound to me like the easiest way to begin 2025.

If you're unfamiliar with them, you'll be glad to know that Barshasketh is not another spin-off from Batushka aiming to rival Patriarkh. However, they are still a black metal band, one that originated in the late 2000s as the one-man project of New Zealander vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Krigeist. After various line-up changes, the band now perform as a foursome, and currently reside at the opposite end of the world in Edinburgh, Scotland.

So far, Barshasketh have managed to sustain a consistent level of quality in their perhaps overlooked discography, churning out a few reasonably impressive offerings. However, they've also remained hidden deep within the depths of the underground black metal scene, with barely an opportunity to stand out from the ever-growing crowd. Now, they return to the scene 6 years after the release of their self-titled album Barshasketh to present their fifth full-length album to date Antinomian Asceticism.

The band's style is firmly rooted in traditional black metal, and they also pride themselves on their refined modern quality production, so Antinomian Asceticism continues very much down this path. However, this album is a dark, powerful, and mystical return, one that does leave me wondering whether the band has finally managed to unlock their inner potential. As for the theme, let's just say it's dark, twisted, and complex, ideally matching the music itself. This listening experience resembles neither a cosmic voyage, a journey through frozen wintry landscapes, nor a trip into the fiery pits of hell, but something else entirely; call it a journey into a mysterious and unfamiliar void that's neither of this world nor any other, left open to your own interpretation as to its reality.

As for the music, the band here unleashes some of their most devastating, ferocious, and malevolent songwriting to date, as twisting dissonant leads and sharp semi-melodic tremolos try to carve their way through a suffocating, densely layered wall of unforgiving sound. This is driven by an unrelenting rhythm section of powerful thundering blast beats, and crushing bass. Harsh vocals vary from growls of raging anger and shrieks of agonizing despair, to sinister chants and haunting cleans. Add then the effects of howling subterranean winds, haunting demonic whispers, and eerie church bells, and what we have here is a collision of elements that set in motion a hellish and apocalyptic soundscape that gives you a sense of sheer discomfort.

This modern approach to black metal that borders between melodically inclined traditionalism and dissonance with a refined quality production has been done countless times over, and I can't say Antinomian Asceticism truly stands out from the crowd, but it does have its fair share of qualities. For starters, its intention to give the listener a real sense of insufferable terror really does seem to work here, as I, for one, found this to be an unsettling listening experience. It's the intensity that really draws you in; there's rarely a break throughout its 7 tracks and 43-minute runtime. This also means that, aside from several short atmospheric sections, there's not a lot of variety between each song, and the lack of memorable melodies and epic build-ups give the album its unwanted drawbacks. 

Barshasketh have certainly set the ball rolling for dissonance-tinged black metal at this early stage in 2025; however, whether this will stand the test of time is debatable. This is the most accomplished and refined release the band has offered, but Barshasketh aren't yet rubbing shoulders with big names such as Akhlys, Deathspell Omega, or Svartidauði, so I fear they may be dwelling within the dark underground for a while longer.