In Aphelion - Moribund

Double black vinyl, gatefold / Indeed, while the spectre of classic blackened death metal for which Sweden is known looms large over IN APHELION, it must be stressed that these gentlemen are THE grand architects of that incredibly influential and ever-enduring sound. And not ones to rest on their laurels, with IN APHELION do both Ramstedt and Bergebäck unfurl new vistas of the imagination whilst respectably remaining within that noble tradition. Simply put, this is timeless HEAVY METAL might painted in purple-blue hues but beaming with brilliant colors beyond. Point proof is IN APHELION's first full-length recording, Moribund. While two tracks - "Luciferian Age" and "Draugr" - were forecasted on the aforementioned Luciferian Age EP, Moribund majestically displays the full bounty of IN APHELION's seemingly infinite powers. Longer, stronger, more deathly, more blackened, more METAL, more of literally everything: Moribund is a veritable monolith of awe-inspiring songwriting and impassioned performance. Breathtaking opener "World Serpent (Devourer of Dreams)" lives up to its namesake - and then some - and duly sets the stage for all that follows for the next 59 minutes. Rise, fall, rise even higher, marching and racing and spiraling and dazzling with every step: IN APHELION exercise a wealth of texture and nuance across these ten tracks, all whilst remaining razor-sharp and as finessed as it comes. It's not hyperbole here to suggest that IN APHELION in general and Moribund in particular handily challenge the sacred tomes of the '90s - again, it must be reiterated that two of those architects are in this band - but the epic-yet-effervescent manner in which this timeless black/death is rendered puts both in rarefied territory, and refreshingly so. And, just like the swift & satisfying Luciferian Age, Moribund is likewise given a grippingly powerful mix & mastering by Unleashed's Frederik Folkare. Luciferian Age teased with its truncated makeup, but now Moribund grandly declares the arrival of IN APHELION as kings!