New breakthrough for Firtan.

Two years after their last production, the band comprising Phillip Thienger (vocals/guitar/keyboards, ex-Anwar), Oliver König (bass/vocals, Finsther Thron, Maersung, Finsterforst live), David Kempf (drums, Profanity, Algetic, ex-Zerfall), Chris S. (guitar, ex-Ichorid) and Klara Bachmair (violin) unveil Ethos, their fourth album.

Markus Stock (Empyrium, The Vision Bleak…), in charge of mixing and mastering, also plays dulcimer and provides backing vocals.

The musicians let us enter their darkness with Hrenga, first with a hazy introduction, then with a throbbing rhythm where they welcome J.J. (Harakiri for the Sky, Karg) for a visceral vocal duet. The sound suffocates us until a short lull that only serves to temper the oppression that returns before giving way to Zores and his immediate fury from which come the intense roars, but also ominous but melodious harmonics tempering the atmosphere with the help of the violin. Contra Vermes unveils a touch of airy dissonance that blends perfectly with the surge, but also a welcome hint of softness that lets us breathe before the sound becomes more impressive, then Arkanum allows us to continue on our way to encounter majestic riffs in tranquility. Although extremely heavy, they remain melancholic even when the powerful vociferations are at work, before the violin sets the rhythmic pattern ablaze for an explosive final. Then it’s with a striking Old School approach that Wermut hoch am Firmament takes us by surprise, bursting in at full speed to welcome L.G. (Ellende). We have a slower moment completed by murmurs, before the morbidly fast pace of Moloch is resumed, which maintains a relatively similar dynamic but creates more soothing moments, making the charge rather mysterious. The final confirms the dark aura of Ruakh, with its bewitching opening moments that turn into a violent hurricane, but also offers more ethereal passages or a blend of the two to fuel its unique ambience, which again becomes more hazy on Komm herbei, schwarze Nacht. The composition naturally veers towards heavy but heady tones, thanks to the dissonant yet relatively soft guitars, so that the final progression becomes terrifying before Wenn sich mir einst alle Ringe schließen closes the album between keyboards and melodious violin.

Firtan‘s dark magic is at work again on Ethos, which doesn’t hesitate to envelop us in darkness to fill us with wonder. The musicians know exactly what to do to capture our attention while delivering an intense performance at all times.

95/100

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