Ulthar - Helionomicon

WHO IS ULTHAR

Steve Peacock - Bass / Vocals
Shelby Lermo - Guitars / Vocals
Justin Ennis - Drums

Ulthar are a Death/Black Metal band originating from Oakland, USA and have three other full lengths: Anthronomicon is Helionomicron’s sister album released on the same day, February 17, 2023, Providence in 2020, and Cosmovore in 2018.

Ulthar have built their own mythological universe throughout their four albums, very much in synch with Lovecraftian chaos and horror. Each album is a progression from the next and aesthetically coherent.

The artwork for both Anthronomicon is Helionomicron’s is commissioned artwork by Ian Miller.

Helionomicon, 20 Buck Spin

Slumbering flesh bound from the lair and into the comsmic realm, and treading the essence of black death is Helionomicron (The Book of the Sun). It is intended to be the second pairing (not a double album) to Anthronomicon, and while a piece of the same art, it is also a standalone album and stylistically different, but still very much Ulthar. Both albums are fast, technical, laden with transitions, and paced exceptionally well - Ulthar understand dynamics as well, and know when to ease back occasionally, and build tension through a melody or soundscape, which are more apparent on Helionomicon. The three musicians are highly skilled, but never verge on the flashy (no solos).

Anthronomicron, translating to The Book of Man, and rooted in the terrestrial is structured in a traditional 8 song format. It is a dense and complex album that challenges the listener in a multitude of ways (thematically also). If you can get through Anthronomicon, it acts as a doorway to the two twenty minute tracks that form Helionomicon.

Helionomcon never settles, it is a wild display of cerebral cosmic extreme metal. Ulthar search, explore, unearth and chase the tail of the beast. The title track (first track of the two) favours a hammer on/off tap style riff that is gloriously infectious, and while it is the hero of the track (and album), it is never overused, or underplayed - it is a very unique riff. At times it feels as though the riff is pulling you under, through the darkness, whether that is space or underwater, searching for a life form to attach to, beckoning a new form.

While the guitar tone is out of this universe o both tracks, the contributions from the rhythm section and the vocals from both Shelby and Steve are immense. Justin’s jaw must have hit the floor when the two of them presented him with the demos to these two tracks to drum to. Lyrically, you can make from this what you wish, but on face value, it is telling quite the tale and well worth some research.

A killer release, outdoing its sister album slightly and is imbedded deep inside the rolling top 10 of 2023.