Metal Underground.com

When Gothmog’s debut album “A Step In The Dark” was released back in 2009, it appeared there was a new standard bearer for the symphonic black metal scene, combining the high quality sound of the big names with the underground credibility of an unknown act. Fast forward to 2012 and it seems like the Spaniards have fallen prey to the sophomore slump: while “Aeons of Deception” is a worthy black metal album, it fails to reach the same heights of unholy glory found in the previous release.

It’s hard to pin down the specific culprit causing this second full-length album to flop in comparison to the first release, as there are many suspects. Gothmog went through lineup changes galore in the intervening years between albums, with a new vocalist and keyboardist taking the reins for “Aeons of Deception.” The sound quality has also strangely taken a nosedive, becoming fuzzier and less sharp this time around, with more of an old-school feel where the vocals are a bit buried under the rest of the noise.

Songs like “…And I Shall Be Reborn” are fairly standard symphonic black metal, and perhaps a little generic even. All the standards are lined up and counted off, with blast beats, cold riffs, and some atmospheric synths in the background throughout the track. The album isn’t entirely by the numbers however, with more of the unique Gothmog sound peeking out in many of the songs and emerging more fully in tracks such as “The Bargain Struck.”

When Gothmog does the evil-yet-melodic sound right, the band really knocks it out of the park, with atmospheric growled voice overs and a gothic and macabre feeling inundating the extreme metal aspects. Unfortunately this album feels a little more phoned in and less inspired the stunning debut “A Step in the Dark,” although it’s still easily worth the time of black metal fans who have already fully explored the likes of Dimmu Borgir.