• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Carathis was formed in 2021 and already has two EPs and a split under their belts and is now releasing a "compilation" consisting of The Amethyst Fortress, previously available only digitally, and a yet-unreleased EP called The Moonstone Prophecy (Metal Archives lists a release called The Moonstone TEMPLE, also available on Carathis' Bandcamp, listed with the same release date as Amethyst & Moonstone and containing the same four songs the label says are from The Moonstone Prophecy. I guess the band decided to add a little confusion to their catalog). The two musicians making up Carathis (Erech, the "everything" one and Palisade, the drummer) play a black metal that is second wave at its roots with croaking vocals low in the mix, blasting drums and tremolo picked guitars that are quite melodic and on the warm side. There are copious keyboards that, with the guitars, give Carathis' music an almost cinematic feel. Songs like "The Amethyst Forest" should be familiar to fans of second-wave black metal bands, especially the Greek variety, but they also push the boundaries of their music with beats that could almost be described as electronic or even dance music ("The Procession"). That might sound odd, and it is on some levels it is. Purists might not be enamored with this development, but it is also not your typical black metal so if you like a little experimentation that doesn't stray too far from the base sound, Amethyst & Moonstone is a release to check out.