Agarthi - At The Burning Horizon mCD Review

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2007-10-05 : Gabriel
This is great music, hampered by a production best described as 'clean but wimpy'. Maybe i feel this way because I've spent most of my extreme music experience indulging in old school Death Metal and Grind Core [ Especially the latter, where 'raw & bassy' is law ], but i doubt I'm the only one who feels this way. Anyway, yeah... the production should have been handled differently, but the music still shines through; it's well written and performed, and anyone with an ear for symphonic melody will find AGARTHI appealing. I need to check out whatever band(s) the members formed after AGARTHI's demise, because this seems like just a taste of the band's potential.
2002-07-31 : Xuthus and Shetait : Link
Xuthus:
Red Stream has put out some great music, and this one is no exception. Although comparisons to Rotting Christ could be drawn, Agarthi have enough unusual touches to give them an original sound. Vocals are standard black metal fare, but sometimes, a man's singing voice can be heard over the ravenscreams. Lots of melody is incorporated, as well as some really great keyboards. Piano and harpischord effects give "At the Burning Horizon" a strange feel at times. The only things that I would have changed would be a heavier production guitar-wise, and some simplification of the songs. With time, I feel pretty sure that Agarthi could be a great band.

Shetait:
This is really good black metal. The sound of the guitars remind me of Gehenna's "Malice". Together with keyboards/piano this creates an excellent mix. The vocals are very good, not just the raw, tortured black metal screams, but some sinister normal-voiced chants as well. The riffs are nothing out of the ordinary, but blend in with the sound effects. It's truly inspiring and worth listening to, but a band that consists of six members should have produced more than just a four songs Mcd.
2002-07-31 : Hyperblastmetal : Link
Finally a band from somewhere other than Scandinavia. These guys are from Italy. This album only has four songs on it, but it's wicked good. Very majestic and appealing. I'm telling you it fucking rocks. Sometimes it has an "80's" style feel to the riffing, but it still sounds black metal. They do a really good job at executing this album. Very tight musician ship with memorable parts. They're also quite melodic too, for those of you who just love melody in your music.

*Agarthi have since broken up with this Mini-CD being their only album I believe. Some members have moved on to form the band Fiuriach.*(Saingrath)

Overall Rating: 7
2002-07-31 : Alex : Link
Some may have heard of the Italian band FIURACH that had released their debut "Chaospawner" in 1999. In many magazines you could read that they rose upon the ashes of a "legendary" band named AGARTHI, a band next to nobody knows, though. "At The Burning Horizon", released in 1997, is the only document of the band's existence...
It begins with a galloping horse, corresponding with the good cover depicting the four horsemen of the apocalypse, before turning into a slow-paced rhythm with keyboards and melodic guitars. "At The Burning Horizon" then develops into a very variable tidbit of Melodic Black Metal, created between 1994 and 1996, at a time, this style had been in its very beginnings and Black Metal more was related to the self-declared Norwegian "elite". You can find aggressive parts right in between manifold melodies, Black Metallish-vocals as well as a deep, clean, theatrical voice, which reminds of the later BORKNAGAR-singer Simen.

"And Cursed Will Be The Sun" continues in the same vein, before "In Manu Maligni" unfolds a classical keyboard-theme in its middle, accompanied by thundering double-bass and guitars, sounds great! And if that had not been enough already (it wasn't), "Black Triangle Sovereigns" enthuses the listener throughout its nearly nine minutes with its variety, from slow-paced to fast, from aggressive to melodious...

I don't think that you'll get "At The Burning Horizon" too easily nowadays, but who has an interest in hearing a fore-runner of the whole Melodic Black Metal-flood should watch out for this mini-CD.
2002-07-31 : Ryan : Link
Agarthi's "At the Burning Horizon" is actually a rather original release that doesn't really fall under any one category. The music sounds to me like melodic Heavy Metal incorporating Black Metal vocals and dark, epic keyboard orchestration with some similarities to that heard in Bal Sagoth's music. This MCD features what may be the best incorporation of keyboard I've heard from any Metal band since I first heard Summoning. Besides the Black Metal vocals, some almost theatrical sounding vocal harmonies can be heard occasionally. Keyboard is often used to convincingly simulate choral vocals in the background. Classical influences and excellent guitar melodies/harmonies can be heard throughout the release. One piece even incorporates a piano interlude which borrows from the first movement of Beethoven's "Moonlight" sonata. The production is excellent. I find Agarthi's "At the Burning Horizon" to be an incredible MCD that should appeal to anyone who can appreciate both melodic Black Metal and Heavy Metal. I very highly recommend this MCD.
2002-07-31 : akruegger : Link
Track List:
1. At the burning horizon 5:13
2. And cursed will be the sun 4:18
3. In manu maligni 4:36
4. Black triangle sovereigns 9:23
Total time 23:30

1. At the Burning Horizon
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
I summon thee courageous of Vidar and that
Shapes of eternity for above
A horde of immortals, eager for war
Dark warriors, mighty and evil
The power of Vrill, the underworld demons
Burning fury in their stately gait,
An army of immortals surrounded by hate

And when his great scythe
Will blacken the light of the sun
Clear will be the sign
That the battle has begun

Vidar lord of silence
Vidar lord of death

Vidar lord of silence
Vidar lord of death

Vidar lord of silence
Vidar lord of death
Vidar

Came forth sulpherean waves of fiurach
Through you I watch into the seven abysses
I pronounce the unholy words of the first chaos

From secret circles beyond
The secret path of Adonai
Come the leaders of the seven formations
And gather the six lords of thunder

Guides a divine sword, black triangle sovereigns
Angel of abyss, Avadon
Vrill will now rise with clenched fists to the sky
Under command of the lords of wrath

From secret circles beyond
The secret path of Adonai
Come the leaders of the seven formations
And gather the six lords of thunder

At the burning horizon
At the burning horizon


2. And Cursed Will Be the Sun
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Darkness who gave me birth
Hear your son call
The kingdom of Avenir
Spreads over the mortals' world

Darkness who gave me birth
Hear your son call
The kingdom of Avenir
Spreads over the mortals' world

Oh, lord whose name men fear just to say
Stands your crown in flames
To bring eternal obscurity
As the seed of the underworld raises his banner

And the mighty lord Avenir
Will storm the Earth with awful fury
And all false god of light believers
Will curse the sun and their gods of light

And cursed will be the sun in eternity...

When the souls from Erbal rise
The word of ancient wisdom is given
When the specter of darkness is finally shown
Cursed will be the sun
Cursed will be the sun
Cursed will be the sun
Cursed will be the sun

By a hand as cold as ice
Dark will be at least - eternity
The sovereign of triangles black
Avenir, obscurity
With majesty will ride black clouds
Raving devotion will chant your glory
And cursed will be the sun...


3. In Manu Maligni
++++++++++++++++++
The gate is still opened
For the passage of the adored
A chariot of fire
Guided by the king of desire
Raised is the underworld
For Vanth return, rise the wicked souls

Mundus positus est
In manu maligni
Imperium superior victus est
A malefico rege
Ab ultore doloris nostrum

Mundus positus est in manu maligni
Nune agarthi resurrecta est
He is returned for us and his pride
To prepare his army for war

Imperium suprior victus est
A malefico rege
Ab ultore doloris nostrum

Mighty lord spread your wings
Relentless faith is in your hand
Glory to the inner kingdom
Glory to the new aeon of underworld
In manu maligni


4. Black Triangle Sovereigns
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[King of the Underworld:]
"You, black triangle sovereigns
You will roam in lands unseen
I want your fury to be as great as at birth

Fury, war, death, pain,
This is your doom
Your faith is to be banished from Agarthi
Until your journey will bring you there
Where the abyss gathers with the sky

You, exiled gods of the past
You will roam in lands unseen
I want your anger to grow against those who dared!"

[Exiled Gods:]
"Exiled, to re-conquer what once
We declared our domain
Our oaths under our swords
To be stronger than the strongest pain
Our oaths under our swords
To be stronger than the strongest pain
Our oaths under our swords
To be stronger than the strongest pain

Fury, war, death, pain,
This is your doom
Your faith is to be banished from Agarthi
Until your journey will bring you there
Where the abyss gathers with the sky

You, exiled gods of the past
You will roam in lands unseen
I want your anger to grow against those who dared!"

"Exiled, to re-conquer what once
We declared our domain
Our oaths under our swords
To be stronger than the strongest pain
Our oaths under our swords
To be stronger than the strongest pain
Our oaths under our swords
To be stronger than the strongest pain

Storming through plains of eternal war,
The horizon has witnessed our triumph
Exiled, we have brought destruction and silence
Under the banners of Agarthi
We have fulfilled our duties
To take on that day the final revenge!

King of the underworld
We have overcome every trial,
Frozen our hearts
To be the ones screaming after the carnage!

We are the six mightiest demons!
At your command in eternity,
Six plagues to waste the world
In the name of your realm!

King of the underworld,
We have overcome every trial,
Frozen our hearts
To be the ones screaming after the carnage!

We are the six mightiest demons!
At your command in eternity,
Six plagues to waste the world
In the name of your realm!"

[King of the Underworld:]
"Now you have become unconquerable,
You cannot be defeated,
You are the sovereigns of the symbol of the underworld evil,
Part of the immortal race, my counselor

You are the black sovereigns!
Black triangle sovereigns!"