Sometimes as a reviewer it is tough to give an unbiased opinion of certain bands, especially when their previous works hold a special place in my heart. It is hard these days to be original in the inbred and incestuous genre known as Black Metal, but thru 3 albums French filth mongors Aosoth have been if nothing else consistent in their craft. The first thing you notice about the bands fourth album is that this is an extremely focused affair. BST's effective use and placement of blast beats is impressive and in your face, where on III they were kind of muddy. The synths that were a prominent piece of the last album are used very sparingly here. Arrow in Heart is a grueling listen and I mean that in the best of terms. Riffs hold for several minutes twisting and turning and often ending in a different place from which they began. “One with the Prince with a Thousand Enemies” is a standout track for me, snarling guitars and some seriously intense drumming patterns very well executed. Aosoth has always excelled in my opinion when they slowed things down to a funeral dirge exhibiting the rawest of emotions. This is best demonstrated on "Under Nails & Fingertips" where the mixture of slow and pummeling is displayed in all it's destructive glory. Conceptually, Arrow in Heart is an audio expression of Aosoth's exploration of transcendence thru pain. I can almost feel the razors at work here. Perversity is on grand display on the 2 instrumental tracks featured here, Broken Dialogue and Broken Dialogue II. The audio sample of terrifying in all the right ways leaving you feeling unclean and broken, which I am certain was the desired intent. As always MkM's vocals are tortured and destructive, he effectively transmits his message with his always distinct growls leaving visions of self mutilation burned in my brain. The production on Arrow in Heart is surprisingly clean with the right amount of filth left caked on top, leaving the tracks to display all of their desired effect. Overall Arrow in Heart is a journey down the road of the artists exploration of pain and suffering. A lot of bands lack the authenticity and feeling of making the listener suffer with them thru duration of the album. Aosoth is not one of these bands and with album #4 they have transcended the monotony most Black Metal bands find themselves stuck in. A worthy successor in an already impressive cannon of albums, Arrow in Heart is worthy of worship. Cut your flesh and worship satan indeed!!!
9.5/10
Review By G.Dutko
9.5/10
Review By G.Dutko