Album Reviews : Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones

It is safe to say that Thomas Gabriel Fischer (a.k.a Tom G. Warrior) has always been a law unto himself and has unflinchingly taken on the role of leader rather than follower at every turn. Whether it was his influential mainstays of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost (for better or worse) or lesser known projects, such as Apollyon Sun, he has always chosen the path less travelled and Triptykon continues that trend.

The debut album Eparistera Daimones has been described by the man himself as a continuation of what Celtic Frost had achieved on their acclaimed Monothiest album and this is immediately apparent from the lengthy opener Goetia which sounds like it could have quite easily fit on its predecessor.

Overall this album sounds similar to what has come before, particularly the trademark guitar sound and pained vocals, though it does have a darker, angrier sense about it which comes as no surprise as the acrimonious breakup of Celtic Frost has clearly influenced the music that has been created. It was hardly likely that Triptykon would be bathed in joy and sunshine but there is an extra layer of aggression and gloom prevalent here that makes its presence felt throughout.

Whilst this is an undeniably heavy album in every facet there are other elements such as piano and female vocals which make occasional appearances such as on Myopic Empire or the gentle My Pain. The latter leads into the epic The Prolonging which is nothing less than oppressive throughout its near twenty minute duration and is initially built around some slow, oppressive riffing and finishes the album perfectly.

Likewise the whole feel of Eparistera Daimones is truly encapsulated in the cover artwork courtesy of the legendary H.R Giger which is suitably dark and sinister and there could really be no more perfect match between art, lyrics and music. It serves as another example of the overall concept behind Triptykon, anything less would have been a travesty, but it was never likely that this attention to detail would be compromised at any point.

Perhaps there is an element of bias here, as a long time fan of Celtic Frost I may not be able to objectively evaluate Eparistera Daimones, but after just a few listens I am certain this will be one of the best releases of the year. It has certainly exceeded my expectations and I would suggest that, in Triptykon, Thomas Gabriel Fischer has yet again created a dark yet compelling album that doesn’t separate itself from the past, rather it takes the music to the next logical phase.

Simply magnificent!

9/10

Band: Triptykon
Album: Eparistera Daimones
Year: 2010
Genre: Dark Metal
Label: Century Media
Origin: Switzerland

Track Listing:
1. Goetia
2. Abyss Within My Soul
3. In Shrouds Decayed
4. Shrine
5. A Thousand Lies
6. Descendant
7. Myopic Empire
8. My Pain
9. The Prolonging