Aversio Humanitatis are a black metal band operating on the cutting edge of the genre. Rather than embracing the artsy beauty of their peers, they have crafted something devastatingly tormented. Their new record, Behold The Silent Dwellers is a masterwork of Spanish black metal. This is the band's second full length and comes off the heels of 2017's excellent Longing For The Untold EP. This Debemur Morti-released stunner has the sort of despairing magic to it that keeps the listener coming back. Many will be in awe of what has been conjured up within. Few bands can reflect the pure misery that Aversio Humanitatis so eagerly dwell in. What sets the band apart is both their wonderful songwriting and the twisted atmospheres these songs conjure up. This is a skull-crushing offering and it will keep listeners awake late into the night.
Throughout this record, Aversio Humanitatis impress with their songwriting acumen. Tracks like "The Watcher In The Walls" have a clear and grandiose evolution. The defining factor of course is the bellowed vocals that dip so nicely back into a death-roar. It gives the music a sense of torment and makes for a much more intimate approach than a traditional growl. The arrangements are another highlight of what's being done here. They paint vast sonic vistas. Vistas the listener will lose themselves in. Behold The Silent Dwellers belies a band who are incredibly talented musicians. Clearly the type of guys who are pushing for ever more twisted sounds and unique, exciting takes on the music we love. What they have conjured up here is reminiscent of acts like Blut Aus Nord, The Great Old Ones, or even Deathspell Omega. In fact, this record feels more like a product of the French black metal scene than the Spanish one.
Behold The Silent Dwellers manages to fascinate with the vast soundworlds that the record wallows in. The epic arrangements of a track like "The Sculptor Of Thoughts" is eye-opening. Few bands can so masterfully bring together such rich compositions. Behold The Silent Dwellers showing others how to elevate the genre. Aversio Humanitatis may not be bringing in too many new ideas, but they are perfecting modern tropes. The sheer bombast that they evoke here is thrilling. As they guide listeners through the Lovecraftian magic of 'The Wanderer Of Abstract Paths' it becomes ever more clear. Aversio Humanitatis has found an approach that is wholly their own. To journey into this record is to peer into a portal to hell.
At just under 36 minutes long, Behold The Silent Dwellers is an album that encourages repeat listens. The quality of the songwriting and breadth of the despair within basically demands it. Black metal is a strange genre. It feels good to see it evolving away from some of the prettier elements that have dominated in recent years. This is black metal borne of agony and despair. It's tormented, searching for hope and unsure of a way out of this living nightmare. Behold the Silent Dwellers sees Aversio Humanitatis evoke bold new vistas of black metal. It sees them improving beyond anything anyone thought possible for the band. Debemur Morti Records has once more found a winner. The band has lived up to their fullest potential, and this record is their claiming the crown.
Score: 9.5/10
