Some may accuse Stefan Kose of Vendetta Records of releasing too many albums. Almost all of them are black metal and even die-hard fans tend to lose track. However, if you take your time, you'll find a few gems that might have been overlooked if you had listened to them casually.
ASARHADDON is a band that may seem a little inconspicuous at first glance, the songs are endlessly long, very melodic and tend not to escalate. If you are looking for total destruction or crass dynamics, then this record is not for you. Instead, it's the wonderful melodies and almost relaxed atmospheres with which the duo from Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia score points here. Era is their second full-length, and there were also four EPs. I don't know any of them, but I would listen to them retrospectively, because Era is good, really good.
Even though the songs only consist of a few riffs, there is no boredom here. Era has a rather hypnotic character. Livened up by acoustic passages, the songs are mid-tempo and build on atmosphere. Perhaps the somewhat squeezed-out screaming seems a little monotonous and lacking in dynamics, but it fits in perfectly with the hymnic and melancholic songs.
One thing should be clear, hardcore (black metal) traditionalists will only be partially happy with Era, there is little nastiness here, hardly any blasting and certainly no madness. But well, black metal has always had a romantic and mystical side that is absolutely in the foreground here. The poetic lyrics, which have a natural and mystical feel to them, fit in well with this.
A record for the fall and winter, for a campfire or for seclusion.
You have to take your time, but it's worth it.
If you still need a comparison, imagine an atmospheric version of Mgla taking a walk through the Cascadian Mountains.
Play tip: The Silver Moon sums up the atmosphere of the record very well.