Epitimia - Allusion

Angry Metal Guy 60

Written By: Nameless N00b_23

Beauty and violence share a strange relationship that can often be disturbing yet spellbinding — like watching a family of orcas gracefully glide through icy blue water to mutilate a seal or seeing a forest burn in a chaotic inferno of vibrant colors. To me, atmospheric black metal has always been the realm of beautiful violence in music. When at its best, it is cold, harsh, and unrelenting yet unsettlingly mesmerizing. After a hazy binge of balls-to-the-wall classic heavy metal, I was pleased to see the latest offering from St. Petersburg’s Epitimia land in my inbox. Allusion is my first exposure to the melancholic group and after browsing their past discography prior to spinning this latest outing, I was eager to hear where this next descent into the otherworldly realm of beautiful violence would take them.

On a surface-level listen, one can be easily deceived by the simplicity of the songs on Allusion. Tremolo riffing over layered guitar melodies and an assortment of graceful blast beats mold to become a blizzard of sound that transforms the inside of my hollow skull into an icy wasteland. But just as the beauty and sublime grace of an orca attack or a forest fire might be lost on some, the grace of this record requires multiple listens to appreciate. It is the small things that make Allusion so mesmerizing. The subtle shifts in melody that move with the momentum of the tremolo guitars, the perfectly positioned breakdown in “I Aspire Like a Bird,” the desperate howls of vocalist K. on “Melancholia I,” and the relief of the clean vocal lead on “Altered State of Consciousness” — these are just a few of the details that make Allusion greater than the sum of its parts.

Allusion by Epitimia

Epitimia have created something very dense on their latest outing. With a running time of just under an hour and with most songs clocking in at roughly six minutes, this is not an easy listen. For regulars of the genre this will most likely not be a deal-breaker, but for most fans, myself included, this hurdle is substantial enough that it keeps Allusion from snagging any year-end list or even monthly roundup spots. Again, there are beautiful moments and details here and when I look back on my time with Allusion, I remember it fondly. However, when digested as a whole piece of art — and I get the impression that Epitimia want me to experience it this way— this record morphs into one icy shade that does little to keep my interest consistently over its hefty runtime. Seeing as Allusion comes hot off the heels of 2019’s Thread (Нить), I feel like Epitimia would have done well to bide their time and recognize that their particular brand of post-black metal requires more highlights to rise to the surface for a record of this hefty length to soar as high as the artistic merit and ability of the group deserves.

It is a shame that Epitmia, like so many others, fail to edit themselves, because Allusion is chock full of moments and glimpses from the great year-end-list-worthy album that this could have been. Songs such as “I Aspire Like a Bird” and “Schizophrenia” belong on a 4.0 album, and there is no doubt in my mind that, given more time in the oven, the other songs on the record could have risen to those same heights. The vocalist K. is the star of the show on Allusion as he growls, snarls, and howls his throat to oblivion and back throughout the record. All his angst and inner terror is laid bare for all to hear. But behind all the howls and buried under the icy tremolo guitars lies the hidden MVP of the show: drummer M. Black metal drummers take note, because this is how its done. M. is a master of balance and nuance and she navigates furious blast beats and fine shifts in rhythm and timing with grace. M.’s performance is a tapestry of momentum that rounds out the edges of the icy performances of the other musicians. Without her, Allusion would not sound nearly as good as it does.

This is by no means a poor record, and if you like your black metal violent yet beautiful, you will find this slab worth spinning. Although the hefty runtime and lack of distinction between the songs hurt the overall experience, I believe that given more time to ruminate on their creation, Epitmia is on the verge of a masterpiece.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Onism Productions
Websites: epitimia.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/epitimia
Releases Worldwide: October 23rd, 2020

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