Eschaton - Isolated Intelligence

Isolated Intelligence is the second full-length album from Austrian band Eschaton, but it’s also their first full-length in eight years time, and it sees the band move away from its blackened death (or deathened black?) roots and come stand on a more progressive black metal ground. The influence of many other black metal bands can be seen here (Burzum, 1349, Darkspace), but by far the most predominant of these is Enslaved. There are moments on II that a person could very easily mistake for Below the Lights if they happened to walk into a room at one of those points of the album. Despite being remarkably similar (so similar, in fact, that you wouldn’t be surprised if someone told you this was Enslaved’s new album), it has its differences as well. The screams sometimes have a hardcore vibe for one thing, and there is the odd death or thrash riff added for good measure. Also there is barely a note that suggests folk or Viking music unlike the comparable band.

That question again which my reviews so often bring me to, then: Comparisons and facts aside, is it any good? Well, production is pretty mighty and full-sounding, every note rings clear in its mildly distorted blur. It’s a forty-six minute album with only five tracks, so it’s pretty epic, and the songs aren’t badly written, either. It’s true that some of the riffs are totally headbangin’, but don’t expect to have your mind blown if you’ve any kind of decent history with metal. That said, Eschaton are another band who I can see the potential for greater things in, and they have presented a fine little album here that can be used as a great platform for growth. Let’s hope for speedier output from them in the future.

In short: Don’t expect any sort of astonishment; this is not the most original album in the world, but it is one that’s enjoyable aesthetically on almost every level, so if you run into it, it’s worth the listen.

Standout tracks: The Black Tunnel, A Storm to Purify the World

Score: 7.0