Review 31: Synteleia – Ending of the Unknown Path

Synteleia
Ending of The Unknown Path
Hell’s Headbangers Records
Released: 8/30/2019
Version Reviewed: 12” LP, black. Original release.

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A1 – Daemonica Infernalium
A2 – Dark Summoner of Yog-Sothoth
A3 – Ithaqua, thy Mighty Storm
A4 -Three Oaths to Dagon
A5 – Ending of the Unknown Path
B1 – Celephais
B2 – Missioner of Sorrow
B3 – Many Masks of Nyarlathotep
B4 – The Black Goat Rites
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Synteleia’s debut, Ending of the Unknown Path, stays accurate and true to the sound of early Greek black metal while exchanging some of the common tonality and songwriting structures of black metal for elements more at home with epic traditional heavy metal.

Synteleia’s narrative-style song structures in conspiracy with the lyrical Lovecraftian themes make a great tonal and aesthetic pairing. Stark riffs – in many occasions, simple single-note strands that convey a central melody, tightly packed into the same octave – gleam with compressed yet anthemic power, coupled to bright lively bass and subtle keyboard accents. The percussion work avoids continual repetitious blastbeats and opts for a variety of styles to compliment the album’s moderate tempos. The vocals are organic – unsaturated by heavy effects – and sincere; a more modern-sounding reserved style as opposed to the more exaggerated, theatrical vocals of old-school black metal.

People looking for an experience that leans toward the hyper-aggressive side of underground music may find Ending of the Unknown Path to be a chore to sit through. There are no lighting flash tempos or constant wall-of-sound style guitar grindings. People looking for an experience that is more raw or minimalist will also find some fault here, as the production is modern but tastefully styled down into a more traditional sonic template, with clear, broad instrumentation and a very competent mix that leaves a lot of warm negative space in the music.

To weigh Ending of the Unknown Path as a pure black metal album is unfair. It is stylistically within that spectrum based on atmosphere, aesthetic s, and structures, but little else. To weigh this is a traditional heavy metal album detracts away from that black metal element and risks devaluing some the characteristics that help elevate this beyond being a ‘one-and-done’ record.

All things considered, this is an album that grows with multiple listens.

The opening track, ‘Daemonica Infernalium,’ immediately highlights the exchanges of black metal and epic heavy metal. Playing on aggressive, blistering tempos early on before breaking into an anthemic bridge accented with angelic choir swells. The minimalist approach to the riffcraft appears front and center, with configurations of melodic single-note sequences and ascending shifts applied to the entire riff to create powerful pushes to drive the song. Riffs present themselves by the measure and not by the beat, allowing flowing sequences and phrases that play out longer.

‘Ithaqua, Thy Mighty Storm’ emphasizes the power of the guitar’s production values early on, with a powerful chord sequence paired with an almost classical sounding lead that is eventually joined by a church organ in the background. Rhythm guitars boom with a centralized power that is focused and compressed, possessing sustain that feels endless, while the lead guitar lines stay parallel in the mix and are not sonically overbearing. The bass finds it’s own identity through descending intervals and doesn’t hide behind root notes of the rhythm chords.

‘Three Oaths to Dagon’ follows ‘Daemonica Infernalium’ thematically with the continuing exchanges of black metal and heavy metal stylings, changing rhythm patterns and tempos frequently. The title track of the album leans more towards NWOBHM-styled guitar riffs paired with bouts of faster blastbeats and periods of slower anthemic refrains with great emphasis on downbeats.

‘Celephais’ and ‘Missioner of Sorrow,’ possess a more controlled, moderate tempo and are the two greatest unclouded examples of the more practical heavy metal stylings, shrugging off the black metal elements prevalent in earlier tracks.

‘The Black Goat Rites’ pays homage to everyone’s favorite party guest and deity, Shub-Niggurath, shifting back into a atmospheric black metal approach with many great song mechanics at play; multiple start/stops, numerous tempo changes, operatic female vocals, subtle and morose piano accents, and drawn-out single-note tremolo riffs.

The closer, ‘Many Masks of Nyarlathotep,’ is one of the defining tracks of Ending of the Unknown Path; aggressive, majestic, and anthemic. Pounding fury gives way to allow a build-up that leads to the best lead work and solo of the record before closing on rhythmic single-note lines. Superior and engaging, a complete experience and a perfect album closer.

The version reviewed was a standard 12” LP that came with a printed lyric sheet, relatively standard affair.