TRIPTYKON – Eparistera Daimones CD review

TRIPTYKON – Eparistera Daimones CD
Prowling Death Records/Century Media

I guess the obvious thing about Tom G Warrior’s post CELTIC FROST band’s debut is that it doesn’t suck. The second thing is did anyone out there in doom joyland think it wouldn’t be Monotheist Two? You figure after releasing that one and having it touted as album of the decade why even try to fuck with a good thing. Although fans do remember Cold Lake and Vanity/Nemesis so I’m sure there were a few doubters out there. For them, by the time the opening cut “Goetia” ends you’ll recognize the pattern of greatness aka: Monotheist is to Eparistera Daimones as HELLHAMMER is to CELTIC FROST. Tom G. is a genius and his music bleeds well into each other, albeit a few missteps in the past. He has done it all as far as extreme metal goes and he can do it with anyone. On here he’s aided by guitarist V. Santura of DARK FOREST fame plus Vanja Slajh on bass and Norman Lonhard on drums.

The earlier mentioned eleven minute opener “Goetia” doesn’t necessarily lead things off but continues where the final embers of CELTIC FROST burned out. This is followed by “Abyss within My Soul” and it’s both of these cuts that serve as an attitude adjustment. The riffs are like thunder in an echo chamber. Tom G’s viciously spits out the words like they were bile whether it’s done in growls or rasps. All of which was done incredibly well before hand on “A Dying God Coming into Human Flesh” but this time around it’s not an anomaly. When this thing plays you are not sitting there in awe going “holy shit”! This time around you are settled in awaiting the punishment to overcome your senses. The cut “A Thousand Lies” does just that. Tom G. also expands on themes he experimented with on Monotheist with the addition of added gothic female vocals. Songs like “Myopic Empire” and “My Pain” add a scope of dark beauty to Tom G’s tortured vision. Both of these cuts come near the end of Eparistera Daimones which once again follows the previous Monotheist pattern. Crush the living shit out of them early on with anger and pain although “In Shrouds Decayed” gives you some brief melancholy relief. Next give them a glimpse of a nicer life while glancing through the prison bars. Then finally destroy them without prejudice.

“The Prolonging”, a nineteen minute closer, is similar to the closing cuts from Monotheist in that yeah it drags ass. To me that’s signature Tom G. and easy to overlook. One of the reasons it’s taken me so long to review this thing is that at 72 minutes this dink is plenty to take in. I didn’t indulge in any of the pre-release hype. In fact with the exception of my friend Tara, I haven’t heard or read anything about this thing. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there in the world falling over their collective thesauruses trying in earnest to find that perfect descriptive line. Not knowing what they’ve expounded on works best for me. I like it that way because Eparistera Daimones is something you need to clear your schedule for as well as your preconceived ideas. Once you immerse yourself then the monstrous riffs will be bouncing around in your brain bucket for weeks on end. I have “Goetia” running around in there all day during work. I’ll grant the jaded ones this line. Like I alluded to earlier Eparistera Daimones, which by the way means “To My Left, The Demons”, surpasses Monotheist mainly because Tom G seems unrestrained and willing to take his apocalyptic vision to the next extreme. Will this be near the top of everyone’s collective end of year schmooze lists? Yes but ten years from now will it be remembered or will Tom G. surprise us many more times with this his triptych?

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