Triptykon - Melana Chasmata Review

Triptykon - Melana Chasmata [Doom Metal]

RIP H.R Giger

The sophomore record by Tom G. Fischer's new band wastes no time in expanding on the ideas explored in the debut record, Eparistera Daimones. This is a pretty late review, so bear with me. For the uninitiated, Tom G. Fischer was the frontman of Celtic Frost, a band with an ambiguous mix of thrash metal, death metal and black metal, and eventually doom metal on their final album Monotheist. Confining this new band to a genre has been quite a headache for me, and the two genres stated above serve only as a teaser to the sound of Triptykon, because noone else sounds like them right now. Song - by -song:

1.  Tree Of Suffocating Souls - A powerful introduction that also highlights the songwriting merits of the band, starting off with double pedals and guitars with a thick, suffocating tone. The vocals are fantastic; intelligible, coarse and always human. I love the guitar solo after the first time the chorus is played here.
2. Boleskine House - A ballad this early may throw many casual listeners off guard, but it's a beautiful song with guest voalist Simone Vollenweider supporting Fischer's low baritone.
3. Altar Of Deceit - Third song goes further into doom territory. The solos here are quite interesting, as they bask in atmospheric melancholy instead of a direct assault. May not be that much of a song for the more hot-blooded listener, but it's satisfactory filler.
4. Breathing - This one is a thrasher. Fischer's vocals are really versatile with any of the styles the songs choose. The riffs are simple yet catchy, and only elevated by the excellent production on the album. Slayer fans will be in for a treat on this one.
5. Aurorae - A surprisingly heartfelt song in the midst of all the madness. It's almost post-metal in nature. A definite standout on this album. Seriously, the guitar solos on this album are amazing.
6. Demon Pact - Features Michael Zech on guitars, this one is another doom-y song, but plays around with minimalist sounds. It's ominous and heavy. Fischer's vocal once again come into the spotlight with some great raspy screams peppered across the track. Elsewhere, there is some refreshing industrial instrumentals on the track. It's the diversity of the record that keeps it fresh. This song truly sounds like it's a pact with Satan.
7. In The Sleep Of Death - This one features more vocals from co-guitarist V. Santura. Not sure what's their beef with Emily Bronte, but this song is chilling. Strong vocals and depressive guitars, straight out of a horror film.
8. Black Snow - Features vocals by A. Acanthus Gristle, presumably on the chorus (hard to tell because Fischer's voice has a pretty big range). A slow burning epic, it's not a favourite of mine though I know many love this one. It's far too long, but it's got the right tone and atmosphere for a lonely night.
9. Waiting - Female vocals again. This one caught me off guard. It's hard to describe the song, it's almost psychedelic and completely different from the previous tracks. It's probably the only positive sounding song here (lyrically also), and it's a respite from the depression-fuelled songs that occupy most of the album. I doubt this is a foreshadowing for things to come on future albums, but I am glad this record ends on a positive note.

There's a Japanese bonus track that I didn't get a hold of, but I doubt it will be important. The sound quality of the album is fantastic even at DR6, it's crushingly heavy without compromising on the subtleties like atmosphere and vocals. Every band member is audible (save for bass). In all honesty, the band doesn't need much dynamic range, but it will be interesting to see how the sound goes given a wider soundstage.

This is a great album, and while not necessarily my favourite album from Fischer, it's not surprising to see this one land on so many best-of lists. I would say it's well deserved.

★★★★☆