Mitochondrion / Auroch - In Cronian Hour

MITOCHONDRION / AUROCH - In Cronian Hour (HELLTHRASHER / DARK DESCENT split 7"EP 2016)

Supposedly it took four years to get this split EP released. That’s a looongg time. Dark Descent and Hellthrasher are responsible for this vile piece and finally they managed to unleash it. You can still gab a copy! I always pay a lot of attention to the design and presentation of the release and in this case it all looks superb. Really impressive artwork, very good quality and nice small size gatefold cover. But the music was for me rather a challenge, to be honest. I cannot say that I loved songs from both bands. I do feel disappointed, frankly speaking, as I expected more, especially from Mitochondrion, whose song is just average in my opinion.

I may not be their biggest fan, especially as I know “Archaeaeon” only very little and I never had a chance to hear “Parasignosis”. But I do have and know very well their 2013 EP “Antinumerology”, which I simply love. Oh, just check my review. I gave it 95/100! This single is simply amazing and this is why I had to expect similar quality from “Gilded Words Reaped”. But I feel disappointed, because it’s just not as good. It’s different; musically it’s not that super thick, massive heavy and utterly obscure death metal. “Gilded Words Reaped” is rather twisted, weird and very progressive, technical death metal track, where you will hear many almost psychedelic, sick riffs, with many breaks and just weird parts, occasionally spiced with some harmonies. It sounds OK, but it’s just quite hard to get into its essence. There are some cool parts, but generally it’s just too bizarre and messy for me. I don’t like the vocals also. It doesn’t speak to me and unfortunately it lacks the atmosphere, which I liked so much on “Antinumerology”. Call it avant-garde death metal, if you wish, but for me this song is a disappointment.

I remember Auroch from their 2013’s “From Forgotten Worlds” album. I didn’t like it haha! So, I haven’t heard anything from them since then, until they came with “Leaden Words Sown” on this split. And well, I have to say that it’s not bad at all. I surely like this song more than Mitochondrion’s – which is a surprise. It’s also quite technical, dense sounding, heavy death metal slab. But it’s more brutal, more straight forward and simply more powerful. There are some killer riffs, sometimes it reminds me “Formulas Fatal…” record and other similar death metal ejaculations. Definitely Auroch has a lot to offer now, their music has developed greatly and now it is vicious and very interesting, so I wonder how they sound like on their newest album “Mute Books”. Will need to check it out! And on this split it’s Auroch who I like more.

Final rate: 65/100