Album Reviews : The Great Old Ones – Cosmicism

French Atmospheric black metal maniacs The Great Old Ones have been channelling the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft for 10 years now and within that time released some jaw-dropping extreme music. Having first heard of them during a visit to France for Hellfest in 2013 I was blown away by the sound of the band and it’s ability to layer 3 guitars in such an interesting and unique way (which France is no stranger to with the likes of Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega being other fine examples of this)

Cosmicism is the 4th full-length release from the 5-piece from Bordeaux in France. The concept behind Cosmicism is that humans are godless creatures who are meaningless in the spectrum of the cosmic universe.

Upon first listening, I was made aware that the Great Old Ones have really upped their game in terms of production compared to the band’s previous efforts. A greater focus on the use of melodies guitar-wise was also something which I had noticed.

The album proceeds with the eerie and haunting acoustic intro “Cosmic Depths” which sets the tone for the entire album. The journey it takes the listener on is one through the depths of space with the intricate and powerful melodies which the band has become renowned for since their inception.

The Omniscient propels the listener into the depths of the cosmic universe leaving no stone unturned with its blistering tremolo picked riffage and drums which sound like they were recorded in the lowest depths of the universe. “Of Dementia” the next track on the album which was the video single released a few months before the album came out. It’s one of the standout tracks on the record and thus might explain why it was chosen as the band’s first video clip. The dissonant harmonies created within “Of Dementia” are truly outstanding and showcase a band truly at the top of their game.

The eerie melodies and dissonance continue into “Lost Carcosa” before settling into a rather melancholic acoustic guitar towards the end of it. The top class songwriting and execution continues for the rest of the record and by the end of it, I was more than satisfied with the 50 minutes of haunting black metal this band has produced again.

It was sure time the Great Old Ones received an album with this level of production and mixing to match the band’s lofty expectations of their Lovecraftian inspired music.

A standout album for 2019 no doubt and hope the band reaps the rewards from such a fine record.

Band: The Great Old Ones
Album: Cosmicism
Year: 2019
Genre: Post-Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Origin: France