How can a side project be so good? Norway’s Aeternus, consisting of members of Gorgoroth and Obtained Enslavement is considered a side project, yet are far and away one of the best bands to thunder into the underground in a long time. Self-described as ‘true dark metal’, Aeternus are a well sculpted trio who’s thundering war cries will bring even the noblest of men to their knees in tribute and worship. The band is unlike any I’ve heard before, the music has a suffocating atmosphere, with thundering drumming that varies from a war-like steady beat, to a horse gallop blast that easily puts the majority of black metal drummers to shame, the keyboards fill the air with gloom while the bass and guitar flow rhythmically crushing all in it’s path, all behind the angered war cries of Ares which leaves the dead rotting in it’s wake. I think it would be impossible to classify this band under any normal category as they combine elements from too many genres, from atmospheric to doom to black to death to melodic and all forms of metal in between, it’s best to just say this band is truly unique. From the eerie intro to “There’s No Wine Like The Bloods Crimson” to the final outro of “Fyrndecheimen”, …And So The Night Became is eight tracks of sheer musical mastery with melody and war imagery so thick you’d need a battle axe to slice through it. I’m not a big fan of black metal, or melodic metal or the like, but I do know a masterpiece when I hear one, and this certainly ranks among the best albums of 1998, if not of all time.

Written By: Teufel