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ACHREN
The White Death EP

Ceol Dorchas Productions (2014)
Rating: 5.5/10

Scottish trio Achren is a band that has been existence since 2003, with the band members often referring to their style of music as “blood metal”. Although the outfit has been busy over the years with a couple of EPs, demos, split projects etc, the debut album didn’t emerge until 2011 and was entitled The Forgotten King.

That particular opus was slightly above average when it came to the blackened death metal stakes, so I have to admit that when I heard the band was releasing an EP I wasn’t that excited. This mini-project features three tracks, namely ‘Archangel’, ‘The Eschatologist’ and ‘Suomen Susi’.

The line-up consists of Scott Anderson (vocals / guitar), Callum Kirk (lead guitar), John Clark Paterson (bass) and session drummer Qball (Bacchus Baracus, Co-Exist) filling in on the sticks. Musically I’m afraid it’s all a little flat, exhibiting a rather polished brand of contemporary metal that is catchy for the most part but just not strong enough to stand up to its competitors. Vocally, Anderson has a fiery, scratchy quality about his rasp, reminding me of numerous German thrash metal vocalists. He does well in transferring the tales of a Finnish World War II sniper who claimed many lives, but musically The White Death falls remarkably short of anything remotely absorbing.

Maybe it’s because there are so many black / thrash / death metal hybrids doing the rounds which all have a rather generic sound. While the drums are crisp and the melodies draw you in, I’m rarely moved except by the catchy hooks of ‘The Eschatologist’ which is the standout track in a sea of mediocrity. It’s certainly more groove-based than a whole host of similar bands and the shifts between faster scenarios and slightly slower, catchier elements means that Achren are more than able when it comes to variation, but for me this is not much of an improvement on the debut album which for me hinted at a frostier Venom at times.

Who knows? Maybe another full-length composition will make me think otherwise, but for now The White Death is a solid yet rather uninspiring clump of black metal that will most likely appeal to fans of Amon Amarth in that it’s a rather speedy, albeit icy affair, but one which flits by and leaves me standing cold and alone in my views.

I’m unsure if this style of blackened thrash has any other avenues to explore, and I don’t see Achren rising above the masses to lay claim to any title.

Neil Arnold

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