Started as a one-man project by mainman Oleg (ex-Dagor Dagorath, ex-Deathstruck, ex-Númenor etc...) in 2012-2013, KHÔRA is an ambitious international project (members living between Ireland, Greece and Norway) melting Extreme Metal and Avant Garde Proggy Black Metal.
After the first demo in 2016, the band is joined by Kranos (Arkhangelsk, Savaoth etc...), L.E. Måløy (Dødheimsgard, INI), Wayne (Wilderun), Dan (Wilderun) and Kjetil (Haimad, Profane Burial, Hogstul) helping to create today's KHORA.
The album features also a long list of guest appearances by James Benson (Amiensus, Chrome Waves), Vicotnik (Dødheimsgard), Marco Puglisi (Syndrone), Boeddelen (INI), B.R, Nordvang (Blåhø, Quadrivium), Arnhwald R. (Deathcode Society, Ecclesia, Glaciation), Achernar (Cor Serpentii, Orakle), Henri Sorvali (Finntroll, Moonsorrow), Johan Havås (Grief of Emerald) and Antti Simonen (...and Oceans, Morian).
"Timaeus" is a carefully-crafted album which consists of melodic black metal to death metal to symphonic and progressive elements released by Soulseller Records. Recorded between 2017 and 2019, it follows the theme of the creation of the universe by three omnipotent entities, loosely based on Plato’s dialogue of the same name.
Mixing many influences, it should interest fans of Arcturus (especially on "l'Annihilateur"), Mayhem, In The Woods, Thorns, Borknagar or Khonsu. It is always beyond the scope of a quite experimental black metal, with some Death Metal influences as well ("Sempiternal").
Due to the distance between band members, one can feel that it sometimes lacks of homogeneity as a band with some weaknesses and clumsiness on songwriting (some songs end really abruptly with disjointed and untight moments in my humble opinion).
That is a complex record that can be hard to digest though the overall impression is that it is a band with a strong personality for a debut album. Surely a band to follow in the next years to come, "Timaeus" is a solid debut record with some flaws in not the easiest genre at all. Definitely a worthy record if you are an open minded black metalhead that already have an Arcturus or Dødheimsgard album in your record collection shelves.
Khôra :
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Soulseller Records :
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