Review: “Reviving Tehom” by Eleventh Ray

“Writing music for the sake of music is not enough. It is the expression of what lies hidden beyond the frames of what we call reality. The great Unknown emanated from the foremost symbol of power, the Red Dragon. What we were aiming to achieve was the creation of a purely black Magical death/thrash/black metal album without the lyrical satanic naivety of the past. Listening carefully to the album, you will realise that into this blend there is a striking ritualistic element with an ominous vibe and a heavy occult twist. Basically, Reviving Tehom is an album I would personally love to listen to, but I could not find anywhere.” ~ Y.K.

Rising from the catacombs of Athens, Greek Black Metal mercenaries Eleventh Ray are a four piece masterminded by Serpent Noir guitarist Y.K. as a vessel for the development of a collection of riffs that have lain dormant for the best part of a decade. After a three song demo recorded in a rehearsal space in 2022 from a full line up caught the attention of Dark Descent Records, a partnership was formed and a journey down the left hand path began. Y.K. once again chose to work with long time collaborator Haris Vougiatzis (Celestial Sword, Circle Of Ouroborus, Majesty of the Crimson Moon) at Eleventh Tower Studio and after some occult rituals were performed “Reviving Tehom” surfaces…

Opening cut “Nightside of Damascus” is one of three songs that appeared on that original demo that subsequently appear on this album and as you might expect, this rendition is shorter and more refined than the original. What you might not expect however is for the raw aesthetic of that demo to be kept in place and as the first song of this collection plays out, it becomes increasingly more obvious that the band have purposefully chosen an old school vibe for this present darkness. A statement piece of a cut, the track itself has a sound that does indeed touch Death, Black, Doom and Thrash Metal to create a melting pot of noise that everyone can enjoy, sparing no victims from their pain. The bark and bite of the vocals on “Staring Eyes” feels a little sharper, the drum sound perhaps the only thing to suffer from the raw nature of this burnt offering, in that it sounds a little dull and not as clean or crisp as it could have been if another direction was taken. Ritualistic chanting begins in the final third before a solo and some death growls add a spice that’s nice and if you hadn’t guessed it, there is absolutely nothing to point to this record as being one of this current age. In point of fact, it could have been released at any point after 1983 and no one would have been any the wiser, such is the timeless nature of these songs. Thrash riffs rise to the fore with “Ha Illan Ha Hizon TrianAdohi“, the reverb on the vocals creating an eerie vibe that is hard to shake even after the cut is long finished. A couple of Arabian Nights style ethnic moments are a nice touch if a little fleeting and in all honesty this one sounds a little unfinished. Perhaps that’s the intention. Instrumental “Path of the Bellator” continues the ritualistic and occult nature of this beast with a pan pipe palate cleanser before “IGUL” rears its ugly head. Riffs fit for worship begin a reign of fire, their head nodding, hypnotic trance enduing nature a glorious thing as the roars of “this is f***ing real!” ring in the ears.

After an eerie ethnic introduction “Κόκκινη Αποκάλυψη” (or “Red Apocalypse“) the poison chalice of riffs overflows with mid-tempo delights, strange distorted and incomprehensible vocals sounding like the brain is awaking from a bad acid trip surfacing at the half way point. Those fade into the night leaving you to wonder what exactly you just heard before the Death Metal riff onslaught of “ZODAMRAN NOX” punches you square in the face. A couple of tasteful solos during the feverish rhythms is a nice touch as it the bass bleed out before the whammy bar action of the final moments. Damning the discerning listener to the bowels of hell “Pan Noctifer” has warped, off kilter solo that blows the mind sandwiched between passages of barked vocals. There is more of a storytelling vibe to those in a spoken word passage that is well worked, the haunting final passage one that you might feel could have been one that the band made a little more of. Saving the album title track “Reviving Tehom” until the end might seem like an odd choice, especially as its one of the finer cuts here but ours is not to reason why. Sharper, more involved riffs and a quality of sound that suggests it was recorded in a separate session or with different equipment makes a big difference, as does the intertwining vocal layers. It’s the longest cut of this collection and is easily the most captivating, an eclectic solo making way for a passage of blast beats that add some serious punch. As an album, this one feels very much like its just the tip of the iceberg… [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Nightside of Damascus
2. Staring Eyes
3. Ha Illan Ha Hizon TrianAdohi
4. Path of the Bellator (Instrumental)
5. IGUL
6. Κόκκινη Αποκάλυψη
7. ZODAMRAN NOX
8. Pan Noctifer
9. Reviving Tehom

“Reviving Tehom” by Eleventh Ray is out 16th May 2025 via Dark Descent Records