Shatter: Eparistera Daimones Accompanied

New Triptykon material turning up in October was like Christmas coming two months early for me, and the news that the Shatter EP will feature a guest appearance from Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto promised to make that early Christmas every bit as happy as the ending to Frank Capra's film It’s a Wonderful Life. “Every time a bell rings, Tom G Warrior writes a metal riff capable of throwing a lead hippopotamus off a see-saw”, as the famous climactic line from the end of that film goes. Indeed, I recall a much loved metalreviews.com staff member, a mere week or so before the news emerged, speculating on a dream metal project along these very lines. He must be some kind of modern day Joseph, without the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

But, a note of caution. There are five tracks here. Only three are new, and two are live ‘covers’ of classic tunes from Warrior’s work in Celtic Frost. Nocturno Culto’s appearance, rather than heralding a black metal dream-team songwriting fusion, is as vocalist on a rendition of Dethroned Emperor at the Roadburn Festival. Moreover, of those three new tracks, one (Crucifixus) is one of those creepy ambient synth offerings that have cluttered (sorry, ‘built atmosphere on’) modern classics like Eparistera Daimones and Monotheist.

The live tracks have a real crushing power to them, for sure, and Crucifixus is suitably eerie. But the only real reason for picking this up is the first two songs, Shatter and I Am The Twilight, both of which are marvellous follow-ons from the last Triptykon album. Indeed, in the case of Shatter, it would have been one of the better tunes on it. It’s a slow-to-mid tempo lurch, with a rhythm section like a great clanking iron fist but which is made surprisingly graceful by Simone Vollenweider’s classy, breathy vocals. It is repetitive, but in that cool Tom G Warrior way in which the grinding weight of the sound becomes completely hypnotising. I Am The Twilight is immensely enjoyable but not in any way surprising: it is one of those classically knucklheaded, crashing groovers in the vein of Ain Elohim or Os Abysmi Vel Daath from Monotheist. Warrior writes in the sleeve notes that it was originally intended for inclusion on that album, and my goodness it would have fit perfectly.

Anybody that appreciates Warrior’s work will want to hear this, and the unheard material is predictably satisfying. Having said that, as a package it’s maybe a little lightweight. Quality over quantity, of course, but excluding the exciting curiosity of Nocturno Culto singing Celtic Frost, there are really only 13 minutes here that demand to be heard.