Aeon "Aeons Black (USA, Metal Blade Records, 3984-15150-2)"

Aeon is a death metal band that formed in Östersund, Sweden, in 1999. The band comprises vocalist Tommy Dahlström, guitarists Sebastian Nilsson and Daniel Dlimi, bassist Tony Östman and drummer Timo Häkkinen. The band released its debut album, Bleeding the False, in 2005; and the second album Rise to Dominate in 2007, after signing a record deal with Metal Blade Records. The band's third album, Path of Fire, was released in 2010 and Aeons Black in 2012.

According to AllMusic, Aeon plays an "uncommonly intense, technically proficient, high-velocity brand of death metal".

Aeons Black is the fourth studio album by Swedish band Aeon, released on 20 November 2012. It is the only Aeon record featuring bassist Marcus Edvardsson, who left the band in March 2013, and drummer Arttu Malkki, who left the band due to family reasons, as well as the last album to feature rhythm guitarist Daniel Dlimi until his return in 2019.

Commented Aeon founding guitarist Zeb Nilsson: "This is definitely our most varied album to date; it has heavier songs, yet it also has lots of fast blastbeats and double bass drumming. It's groovier this time, which I think we lacked on our last album, 'Path Of Fire', which was fast-paced almost all the way through. That, and the amazing mix by Ronnie Björnström, makes me feel pretty confident that this album will appeal to more people than our previous albums. And no, we have not gone softer in any aspect; it's just easier to catch with all this grooviness. It's metal right up your ass!"

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Tommy Dahlström, except "Sacrificed" and "Maze of the Damned" written by Zeb Nilsson. Music as indicated.

1. "Still They Pray" Nilsson 3:50
2. "The Glowing Hate" Daniel Dlimi 4:12
3. "The Voice of the Accuser" (instrumental) Nilsson 0:51
4. "I Wish You Death" Nilsson 4:54
5. "Garden of Sin" Nilsson 3:49
6. "Neptune, the Mystic" (cover; instrumental) Gustav Holst 1:12
7. "Nothing Left to Destroy" Dlimi 5:24
8. "Passage to Hell" (instrumental) Dlimi 1:05
9. "Aeons Black" Dlimi 3:42
10. "Dead Means Dead" Nilsson 4:03
11. "Sacrificed" Dlimi 3:23
12. "Aftermath" (instrumental) Dlimi 1:20
13. "Blessed by the Priest" Nilsson 3:58
14. "Maze of the Damned" Nilsson 3:38
15. "Die by My Hands" Nilsson 5:22

Total length: 50:43

"Neptune the Mystic" is a death metal interpretation of the orchestral piece of the same name by English composer Gustav Holst, written in 1915 as the last movement of the orchestral suite The Planets.

Recording information:

Recorded at Empire Studio in Östersund, Sweden in June 2012.

Mixed and mastered at Garageland Studios, Umeå, Sweden in June/July 2012.

Aeon − production, arrangement

Ronnie Björnström − production, engineering, mixing, mastering

Daniel Dlimi − engineering

Markus Edvardsson − engineering

Kristian "Necrolord" Wåhlin − artwork

Fredrik Wallin − photography