Chaos Moon - Eschaton Mémoire

By Ben Handelman. Chaos Moon, once a relatively inactive outfit, has grown increasingly active and prolific since its reemergence in 2014. With the release of last year’s ferocious Eschaton Mémoire, the band has staked out territory

By Ben Handelman.

Album art by Jef Whitehead

Chaos Moon, once a relatively inactive outfit, has grown increasingly active and prolific since its reemergence in 2014. With the release of last year’s ferocious Eschaton Mémoire, the band has staked out territory that should take it from buzz band to “must-hear” status, if anybody’s taking proper note. The sinewy "The Pillar, Fall, and The Key" begins the assault in a proper fashion. There are shades of ambiance that neither comfort nor soften, but rather add to the general queasiness, especially as things begin to deteriorate halfway through. It's in the moments where things drop out that Chaos Moon's loose and limber take on haunting (or perhaps haunted) black metal shines its brightest, as the density is harder to fully appreciate until an element is peeled back momentarily. The true face may remain unknown, yet the individual components of it all rise up from the burbling unease, allowing just enough clarity to keep the listener from complete unawareness.

Cryptic phrasing aside, what Chaos Moon does best is remove the listener from present space and create another entirely. The album’s three lengthy tracks flow into places beyond one’s active mind, creating a hypnotic result in even the most focused audience. Music that interacts with the listener in an almost visual way is inherently more potent, and this is the territory much of Eschaton Mémoire covers. It’s delicate and deliberate, almost fluid in quality, yet when it decides to snap, it’s the most pointed sensation. These separate moods circle each other constantly, channeling something that would seem otherworldly, yet is innately animalistic and painfully human.

Is Eschaton Mémoire good? Undeniably. It is one of the most cathartic black metal albums to come out in recent memory. Is good the goal, though? Probably not. This isn’t about being good or bad, although a review inevitably forces the author to pass some sort of judgment. Instead, this is about feeling. There is so much happening, especially in the twenty minute sprawl of the title track, which is an emotional and spiritual ride. From the truly feral vocal approach to the subtle strains of tortured melody that creep in through both synthesizers and brittle guitar leads, there’s almost more than can be contained or conveyed with mere words. Sure, on the surface this is a black metal album, and there won’t be any specific sounds that can’t be understood here, but as an experience this is worth a deeper visit. Headphones on, world tuned out. Get into it and let it get into you.