Review: “Consuming The Light” by Eihort

Named after the God of the Labyrinth who appears in H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulu Mythos, Eihort a new Black Metal band, the collaboration of a pair of musicians in A (guitar, bass, recording duties) and Hellishdust (vocals, lyrics, graphic design) who have been working together on various projects for the past 4 years. Based in London, the pair of experienced musicians they wrote, recorded and produced six original cuts for their debut album “Consuming the Light” between 2020 and 2021 as well adding a cover of “Blood Ritual” by pioneers of underground Extreme Metal Samael. Mixed by the legendary Haldor Grunberg of Satanic Audio (Blaze Of Perdition, Azarath, Behemoth) and adorned by cover art by Robert A. von Ritter, the record is the second to be released by Underground Kvlt Records, the new imprint label of Odium Records following “Alt Skal Svinne Hen…” by Likheim…

…and what we find in Pandora’s box is a collection of songs about alchemy, the occult, dreams and mysticism, with an unnamed mutual friend as a session drummer while the band search the darkness for musicians in preparation for live shows. They say the very first cut is the deepest and to that end “Through The Oil and Blood” paints Eihort in blood as a duo of seasoned musicians who are capable of creating fury and flame on even the darkest of winter nights. A cut with all the hallmarks of classic Black Metal, it is as far from what you might expect from a debut album as you might find. There is nothing rough and ready, DIY or DIE or learning as we go about this, instead the duo have given us something highly polished and refined in the fires of hell itself. “Dead Cold Eyes Staring Into The Darkness” was the first song the band wrote together and its nothing short of stunning from the icy atmospherics and acoustics of the introduction to the rampaging whirlwind of percussive battery, the echoes of the demonic vocals are pure venom as the course through the veins, the dissonant guitar ending a sublime final flourish. Make no mistake, this album isn’t one for purists as it deviates from the left hand path from time to time, but for those prepared to embrace the evil of that there is much reward in this treasure chest of diamonds and gold.

The vocals are balanced perfectly on a knife edge, dry, raspy and on the shriller side, they are unclean enough to satisfy and yet clean enough that the work put into the lyrics is never shrouded in darkness, something that is essential for something of this quality. “Transmutation of The Mind” is the first of two cuts to have a guest musician join the band as SW of Fosforis lays down a gauntlet of a solo in a cut that laments slavery to depression with a sinister urge but it is the darkness of “Bloodcurdling Serenades” that steals the limelight thanks to some ethereal leads and almost tribal drum fills of the finest order. The haunting sample is partially lost in the dissonance of the guitars but that only adds to the ghostly quality with which is plays out, making you question exactly what you heard, something which can also be said of the Doom Metal leaning Blackgaze qualities of “Oblivion“. The soundtrack to accompany the slow walk to immolation, it dulls the ache by showing how one pain can replace another. It feels like the natural end point of the album however the band still have their cover of “Blood Ritual” to offer, something which would have actually fitted better in the body of the album before “Oblivion” and yet… it’s still one that the finds the band doing the height of justice to a classic whilst paying homage to the masters with a Blackened Crust Punk energy during a fast and loose performance that sounds like it was done in a single take. This is a debut album to savour [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Through The Oil and Blood
2. Dead Cold Eyes Staring Into The Darkness
3. Holy Venom On The Lips of The Whore
4. Transmutation of The Mind (ft. SW of Fosforis)
5. Bloodcurdling Serenades
6. Oblivion (ft. B. Fusco of Final Dose)
7. Blood Ritual (Samael cover)

“Consuming The Light” by Eihort is out 22th July 2022 via Underground Kvlt Records and is available over at bandcamp.