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Averse Sefira > Tetragrammatical Astygmata > Reviews
Averse Sefira - Tetragrammatical Astygmata

From another dimension - 95%

we hope you die, September 17th, 2020

Averse Sefira were long held up as a rare gem of North American black metal until their sudden disbanding in 2012. Familiar to any graduate of anus.com, they should also be familiar to you. Much like Antaeus they approached the black metal framework with an eye for minimalism. But for Averse Sefira, this reductive method only served as a means to an end. Each individual riff, despite their speed and precision, is dirt simple chromaticism, but through their sheer quantity and scant repetition a highly complex picture begins to take shape. Although all of their albums boast a unique character, there is a marked signature that runs through all of them that is defined by this pure commitment to dissonance and the aforementioned chromaticism. Their debut, 1999’s ‘Homecomings March’ was a boisterous statement of black metal as a source of triumph and joy, with an interestingly mechanistic quality to it, not least owing to the use of a drum machine. But through ‘Battle’s Clarion’ (2002) and the album we’ll be looking at here, ‘Tetragrammatical Astygmata’ released in 2005, the Averse Sefira mark was left, and found it’s culmination in their swansong, 2008’s ‘Advent Parallax’.

But on ‘Tetragrammatical Astygmata’, we find these Texans at their most expansive yet also their purest. Grand, sweeping epics of intimidating complexity which are nevertheless built from almost comically basic sonic bricks unfold in swaying, fluid rhythmic patterns that demonstrate an incredibly tight relationship between the guitars narrative centre and the drums. Something not often seen in black metal. The antecedents for what Averse Sefira are doing here could roughly be described as marrying the three-dimensional death metal of prime-time Immolation with Norwegian black metal, and a heavy dollop of Voivod’s patented abrasive whimsy. These tracks find their anchor in an almost humorous approach to riff construction, with ascending and descending chord sequences that seem absurd ripped from context, but taken together give rise to this music’s esoteric qualities. The drums follow every peak and trough of the guitars loyally, in a performance that is a wonder to behold both as a piece of collaboration but also a fine demonstration of an alternative approach to drumming in black metal when contrasted with the out and out minimalism of Fenriz in Darkthrone’s heyday.

Despite the intellectual purity to be found in admiring this group’s ability to carve out these intricate sculptures, that seem to emanate from another dimension, this album stands out in Averse Sefira’s discography for being their most expansive and atmospheric. Minimal dark ambient has been a common feature of their work, used to occasionally break up the near relentless energy of the metal tracks, but on ‘Tetragrammatical Astygmata’ this vibe extends into the rest of the mix. Spoor’s vocals stick with a traditional aggressive black metal style, here laced with huge amounts of reverb whilst still allowing enough articulation for us to appreciate the rhythmic twists and curves his voice takes. Each note extends out into the music, giving it size and scope. The guitars as well – although clear enough to allow us to appreciate the riffcraft – are more in line with a traditional black metal tone, with all the atmospheric trappings that that entails. Drums are also raw but in a mechanical sense, this is in part thanks to the machine-like precision of the performance, but also it allows a clarity and authenticity to the technically accomplished playing of…The Carcass.

We all have an anecdote about the first time we heard some real black metal, and how abrasive it was, and how we thought we were listening to a mistake, or a piece of ambience before the music kicks in. I had that exact experience on first listening to Emperor’s ‘Wrath of the Tyrant’, “this can’t be it?!” But as we all know, over time we become accustomed to it, and even grow to spot the various techniques and traditions that a piece is referencing; our tastes refine. Averse Sefira is one of those artists that gets bigged up as raising the game for black metal in the 2000s. But even for experienced or veteran fans it can take time to wrap one’s head around what exactly it is they’re doing. It certainly takes a few listens, as the mechanical, manic noise emanates from the speakers and we struggle to decipher any internal logic to the threads of music. But much like our first love affairs with black metal itself, we all in turn have anecdotes of when things clicked into place, and we got it. At the risk of hyperbole, refining one’s taste in this way feels like gaining a new means of perception. Rewards await the persistent, but they are not given willingly.

To get personal again, unlike many albums I review, I remember well when this was released, the anticipation, and the impact it had. It was a thrill to see such quality material cut through the nonsense at a time of seemingly endless naval gazing. It’s also a pleasure to look back on it now and realise how well it has endured over time.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

Elohim... Adonai... Tetragrammaton - 98%

Grimulfr, November 14th, 2008

“Give me some baby blood.” This disc is called Tetragrammatical Astygmata and as I listened for the first time I kept hearing King Diamond’s voice in my head, “Elohim... Adonai... Tetragrammaton.” Averse Sefira returns with new material, the long awaited sequel to 2001’s Battle’s Clarion. The most important issue to me is can this possibly live up to the back catalog. Over the last several years no American band has gotten more airtime on my cd player than Averse Sefira.

I have been listening to this disc nonstop of a few days and I get more out of it with each spin. Ten songs, fifty minutes, a few pauses here and there to catch your breath, like the end of “Hierophant Disgorging,” otherwise full on intensity. Once again unexpected time changes and swirling guitars force your full attention. The level of technicality is high and the skill of execution is equal to the task they set before themselves. At least there is one band that meets expectations. Anyone out there that is a fan, this disc is mandatory. My favorite is “Helix In Audience”, which flows right into “Mana Anima,” with a brief interlude, making for one nearly 15 minute long piece that demands full attention. The drumming is beyond good and is allowed to take over for a bit about four minutes in. The sparse lyrics allow for lengthy melodic passages, and add more power when the vocals do come in. I find myself looking up at the speakers in concentration, which helps focus my mind on the music, blocking out external forces like my work environment. “Mana Anima,” starts quietly and builds slowly in harshness and volume. An absence of melody is what stands out, grating and rhythmic with the harshness of the vocal delivery dragging you along to the final extended distortion of an ending, like the plaintive wail of a far off siren that takes two minutes to disappear.

There is no doubt this album, like its predecessor, will make my top ten for the year.
I can appreciate the effort and time that went into crafting this album and if the next one is going to be this good I won’t mind waiting until 2010 to hear it. In the meantime I’ll go listen to Black Masses.

Originally written for http://teethofthedivine.com

America's finest evil - 100%

Soturnus, February 12th, 2007

This is the third album by Averse Sefira and it is definitively a milestone for black metal in the New World. "Tetragrammatical Astygmata" is, for sure, one of the most powerful black metal albums ever released in the USA.

The album starts with a short intro called "Exordium". Just like in their other albums intros, the soundscape was created with no keyboards (courtesy of the enigmatic The Lady Of The Evening Faces). Your speakers literally explode when the first "real" song begins. And it is appropriately called "Detonation".

At this moment, the first thing which is possible to notice is that the sound production is far dirtier and more aggressive than in the previous albums. However, it is always perfectly possible to understand everything that is happening in all the songs. "Tetragrammatical Astygmata" was recorded at Necromorbus Studio and this made a big difference in relation to the past works. The sound is sharp and massive, being evil and clear at the same time. The vocals are also more aggressive and sound even more satanic than ever.

The songs are complex, being ultra-fast most of time but also having numerous tempo changes. You will never have a rest in here! It is impossible not to get impressed with the work of drummer The Carcass. His sense of extremism is outrageous and his precision is psychotic (more people should take notice of this man's skills behind a drum kit).

The atmosphere which emanates from the songs is impressive. Averse Sefira's ability in creating claustrophobic ambience is supreme and the whole album passes this impression of "chaos under control". Guitar riffs are aggressive and played with anger. Sanguine (the one behind the guitars), in order to generate the forementioned chaos, offers insane dissonant chords all the time, giving the listener the impression he must have more than only 5 fingers on his left hand. But these riffs are as dissonant as they are functional and the transition from the pure sonic onslaught to the more melodic parts is very well done. Bassist Wrath delivers some great work as well, playing creative bass lines which have personality enough to follow ways of their own, not staying in the guitars shade all the time. That's remarkable on tracks like "Detonation" or "Hierophant Disgorging".

By the way, the highlights: well, the entire album is awesome, indeed. However, "Helix In Audience" has some sinister and insane melodies which make this one of the best songs ever by Averse Sefira. Also "Plagabraha" is worthy of mentioning: a shorter but extremely powerful fast track. Other incredible moments are "Hierophant Disgorging", "Cremation Of Ideologies" and "Sonance Inumberate".

Do yourself a favor and buy this wonderful album. Also if you can, attend some Averse Sefira live concert. That's black fucking metal in its purest and strongest form.