My understanding is that Paths to Deiverance are now a full band, but at the time of recording it was just A.S.A (Alkhemia, Azziard) on vocals, guitar and bass plus drummer Kevin Paradis (ex-Benighted). I am guessing the debut album is called ‘Ten’ as it contains ten songs, but who really knows? What I can say is that this is a black metal album which does not pull any punches, and never sounds like a project but a full-on outfit who are ready to rip off your face. There are many BM bands who concentrate more on the atmosphere and less on the guitars, but here the guitars have the right amount of aggression and punch while the atmosphere adds the extra finesse over the top. One can tell that A.S.A. has been around the traps as this never feels like a debut but a band who know exactly what they want to achieve and how they are going to do it.
The PR company says this is for fans of Der Weg einer Freiheit, Deathspell Omega, Harakiri for the Sky, Marduk, Gaerea, but anyone who has ever dipped their toes into the murky waters of black metal and still been able to walk will find a lot in here to enjoy. It has the commerciality of the likes of Behemoth, yet somehow refuses to compromise which means that hardcore fans of the genre will not be screaming “sell out”, while those metalheads who have never really understood the need for corpsepaint will also find plenty here to enjoy. Brutal and in your face, it will be interesting to see what happens next with these guys now they are a full band as this shows a lot of promise indeed. 7/10
