Ceremony of Silence – Hálios – The Toilet of Hell

We love a good education.

Black death metal fans rejoice: Slovak masters Ceremony of silence are back and their return is welcome. We were really impressed by O​ú​tis in 2019, earning him a high position in Lacertilian’s top 10 for that year, and I’ll be damned if Halios isn’t aiming for a top spot this year. Luckily, you don’t have to wait any longer to find out why, because we’re bringing you the album in its entirety right now.

The ceremony of silence can be cut from the same cloth as Ulceratebut their riff-driven approach puts them closer to acts like Setentia Or Hour of suffering in my ears. Their music evokes a similar mystical atmosphere through its massive caustic chords and chiming, stinging phrases paired with tumultuous percussion, and they keep it grounded in the material world with easier-to-follow melodies and, well, real riffs. There’s a coherent musical throughline that even the most staunchly anti-diss cowards listeners will find this acceptable.

It is this guiding principle that truly makes this album strong. The instrumental duo of Viliam Pilarčík and Matúš Ďurčík is one of the strongest of the moment, both in terms of interpretation and composition, and their fluidity on this album is almost perfect. O​ú​tis was already good at moving from one idea to another without lingering too long, but the way Halios The Beatles’ writing philosophy is on a whole other level. They construct and compose their ideas over the course of a few sentences, and the transitions from one part to the next are fluid and natural in a way that defies my ability to describe. This is truly one of those albums that has to be heard to be believed, and you’ll understand why within minutes of listening. The band gives a warm welcome to those who listen:

It’s a great feeling to finally be able to unveil something we’ve been working on for so long. Thanks to everyone who supported us on this journey, especially Jason from Willowtip Records for his trust. We hope this album resonates with you as deeply as it does with us. Dive in, let the sound wash over you and experience “Hálios” at its best with one of the physical formats accompanied by beautiful woodcuts made by our drummer, Matúš S. Ďurčík.

Halios will be released on Friday, July 19th via Willowtip. You can also join the group for a listening party tomorrow (July 17th) via this link.
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