Chthonic - Seediq Bale

Published March 16 2007

*=Staff's pick	Progeny Of Rmdax Tasing* Indigenous Laceration* Enthrone Bloody Gaya Fulfilled* The Gods Weep Where The Utux Ancestors Wait Exultant Suicide Banished Into Death Quasi Putrefaction*

Genre	Black Metal	Freddy	Vocals
Tracks	11	Jesse	Guitar
Runningtime	43 Min.	Su-Nung	Violin
Label	Down Port Music	Doris	Bass
Release	16 March 2007	Dani	Drums
Country	Taiwan	CJ	Keyboard
Similar artists	Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth

We've been seeing more and more bands from the Eastern parts of the world recently; bands that have already conquered their native lands and are now out to break the Western music-market. Japanese bands are for example more common now than they used to be, but Taiwan is still a country that you normally don't associate with heavy metal. Chthonic aims to change all that. This sextet have released four albums so far and are immensely popular in their home country, but do they have what it takes to impress the critical Western listeners?

However, Chthonic has one advantage over most other Asian bands: they play black metal, and it doesn't sound much different from their equals here in Scandinavia. Dimmu Borgir and Cradle Of Filth are the most obvious influences, and if you consider how great they are doing here at the moment, Chthonic should have a fair chance at building a fan base in these parts of the world as well. All the classic ingredients are there: harsh growls, blast beats, orchestrated parts, wild and crazy keyboard-solos, soothing female vocals and disturbing lyrics.

What separates Chthonic from the rest of the black mass is that they incorporate their own elements into the story. The theme of the album is about the genocide of the Taiwanese tribe called Seediq Bale, which means that the violent lyrics doesn't feel out of place on a black metal-album. Also, one of the band members plays a Taiwanese two-stringed violin called Er-Hu, an instrument that is mostly played on funerals in Taiwan. This certainly adds a sorrowful dimension to the sound, like on the standout opener Progeny Of Rmdax Tasing.

It occasionally appears like the band looses focus and merely creates creepy moods instead of thoroughly great songs, but luckily most compositions are right on point. And when the superb finisher Quasi Putrefaction has faded out, you kind of feel that this is only the beginning of Taiwan's journey on the metal fields.