I usually find that most bands that release albums independently should be getting more attention. Khaos Aeon is one act that should be. This underground black metal act from Germany has been recording music since 2008, and this time around went about releasing their newest album independently compared to their first in which they did under a label Fog of the Apocalypse Records. One thing this band deserves is to be recognized, and with their new album Koenigreich, this is the perfect time for the metal community to get acquainted with them.

After jumping into the eight tracks this album provides, it’s almost hard to stomach that no one has given them the recognition they merit. Labeling them “black metal” is a bit difficult to describe them as. There is an influence from the genre no doubt, but the music feels different. The opening track Death easily takes its time building up the anticipation of the album. The tones of the guitars are a rough tone, but the high strings can really howl when they are played. The album is obscure and dark, leaving beautiful yet nasty taste in the mouth. As for the vocals, they are stimulating to say the least, as they come off with a fantastic hint of doom.

Keyboards make an appearance on the album sporadically, as the opening to the song Night will show. They are placed well, but most of the music focuses on dark death metal riffing done with a blackened style. Night is one of the more memorable songs from this album. It can grow to become epic at times, but also shows the bands ability to play along with many different styles and ideas. The clean vocals emerge once again here during the track, but implanted something special for me with their robust manifestation.

Each song on the album avoided one thing. No song ever grew repetitive, and did a nice job of constantly grabbing my attention from start to finish. It’s a rough sounding album overall, and no song sounded more rough than one of my favorite tracks, Sutech. The big riffs and the death growls evoke a strong sense of hate that gets better with each passing minute.

This independent album was one of the better releases I head before 2013 ended. Khaos Aeon has done a nice job in delivering an album that clearly shows they have wonderful potential now and in their future. This may be only their second full-length album, but it is indeed their best work to date.