Greetings, you cosmic heretics of the Black Metal Archives—Sean here, still reeling from the starlit abyss of Olio Tähtien Takana’s Spectral Katharsis. Blasted this tonight, and it’s like I’ve been hurled beyond the galaxy’s edge, swallowed by a vortex of majesty and malice. Unearthed this Finnish gem via a late-night dive into Avantgarde Music’s roster, released October 29, 2021, and its twelve tracks are a celestial onslaught—let’s tear through the veil and explore!
Olio Tähtien Takana—Finnish for “A Creature Beyond the Stars”—spawned in 2016, a duo of v-KhaoZ (all instruments) and Hellwind Inferion (vocals). Spectral Katharsis marks their third chapter, a symphonic black metal odyssey steeped in cosmic dread.
Let’s look at some of the track highlights!
“Towards the Dying Moon” ignites the journey, keyboards swirling like a nebula’s breath, v-KhaoZ’s guitars slicing through with icy precision. Hellwind’s vocals shift from shrieks to chants, a misanthropic guide through the void—I’m gripped, pulse racing.
“Excrucior” slows the orbit, a brooding expanse where synths shimmer and riffs grind, building tension that cracks me wide open.
“A Sorcery Written in Stars” is pure witchcraft, a standout that dazzles with its melodic fury—guitars cascade like falling constellations, Hellwind’s voice a venomous incantation. “Spectral Katharsis” crowns it all, a sprawling ritual of soaring keys and relentless blasts—my skull hums with its grandeur, lost in its stellar embrace.
Olio Tähtien Takana’s sound is a galactic storm—v-KhaoZ’s guitars and keyboards weave a tapestry of frost and fire, his rhythm section a pulsing cosmic engine. Hellwind’s vocals are the snarling soul, versatile and venomous. This sits among symphonic black metal titans—Limbonic Art’s astral chaos, Emperor’s regal might—with a raw, ‘90s edge that bites deep. Spectral Katharsis is a majestic plunge—crank it, let it lift you, and join me beyond the stars.
You astral deviants, share your cosmic rants in the comments—how did this album warp your mind? Hit Bandcamp for the full trip and ascend!
RATING: 5 OUT OF 5
