Buy here: http://www.metalblade.com/yothiria
"True change begins when we refine our character, discipline, and inner power. A transformed person creates a transformed reality. Personal evolution becomes a universal shift—a new order of existence. The world changes when the self is reborn."
"This time we entered the studio with the clear intention of creating a landmark album for the band." It's a noble and challenging mission statement from Hellenic black metal troop Yoth Iria, and one that has amply succeeded in the form of Gone With The Devil, the Attica quartet's stellar third album.
Their trajectory has been on a steep ascent since crafty 2021 debut As The Flame Withers and 2024's hypnotic Blazing Inferno, but there has audibly been a concerted determination to develop and expand in sinister new directions. "The creative workflow was similar to Blazing Inferno, yet we deliberately pushed ourselves to bring new elements into our music. We kept the immediacy of Blazing Inferno, the psychedelia of As The Flame Withers, and all the characteristics people expect from Hellenic black metal - while adding fresh sounds and atmospheres never before heard from Yoth Iria.”
The daemonic avatar Yoth Iria was first explicitly summoned on Rotting Christ's legendary debut Thy Mighty Contract in 1993. Bassist/lyricist Jim Mutilator formed that band as Black Church in 1984, before also becoming a founder member of cult Athenian BM heroes Varathron for their first five years. Renewing the otherworldly atmospheres and occult ravishment for a new era, Yoth Iria functions almost as the third panel in an apocalyptic triptych of Hellenic black metal excellence.
There's a thrilling balance of ancient and modern, good and evil, harmony and dissonance, advancing Yoth Iria as a hungry contender for extreme metal's big leagues - an ever-improving unit with a glorious future. Appropriately, however, Gone With The Devil is best summed up with a line already coined by the band to describe their ongoing body of work: "Every note tells a story of rebirth, tradition, and the relentless pursuit of musical transcendence."
Video by Bob Katsionis & Alexander Haritakis for Progressive Vision Group
08. Blessed Be He Who Enters
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From the shadows, he descends, unseen
A genesis of demonic passion, born of the abyss
Whispered secrets in the void's embrace
Enacting the darkness, claiming his place
Blessed be he who enters, the realm of salvation
Where fire burns fierce, and darkness brings light
No returning, just eternal life
Welcome to the glory, the endless fight
Step inside, embrace the swarm
In the shadows, a new form
The ancient call, the cursed refrain
Blessed be he who enters again
Blessed be he who enters, the realm of salvation
Where fire burns fierce, and darkness brings light
No returning, just eternal life
Welcome to the glory, the endless fight
So enter now, the left-hand path is clear
Blessed be he who enters, the end is the new beginning
YOTH IRIA:
HE - vocals
Jim Mutilator - bass
Nikolas Perlepe - guitar
Naberius - guitar
Bill "Vongaar" Stavrianidis - drums
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