Customer Reviews

Tophet

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After being announced something like two years ago this album has finally been released. It was originally set to be released on Sounds of the Dead records [who released their "Pure as the Blood Covered Snow" EP] but the founder of that label vanished from the face of the earth and the future of "Tophet" looked bleak ... it was put on the back burner and a new demo / EP was announced, but then came the great and mighty hero Psychoacoustix Records to rescue "Tophet" ... well unfortunately that didnt work out so well either as the release date was pushed back several times [eventually turning into something like 7 months] and then the head of the label died and the entire label suspended operation. The label did actually get some copies made at the tail end and that is why the Psychoacoustix logo is on the back cover ... but this was NOT released by that label, rather it was released by the band itself.

All of that means nothing to the actual music, but I find it interesting. The music here is much like that on "Pure As ..." only more technical, more advanced, heavier, faster, more intense ... you name it, it's more that way. The production is MUCH better, everything has a fuller, richer sound while still staying away from that 'over produced black metal' sound ... yes, keyboards play a much more prominent roll on this album than they did on the earlier EP, but rather than creating the music [leaving the guitars buzzing around somewhere in the background] they enhance the music, giving everything more atmosphere ... I am not a big fan of keyboard heavy black metal, and I like them on this album, so that says something I think.

All in all I have to say that this cd has gotten a LOT of play time since I received it a couple weeks ago, the mixture of black and death metal with just a touch of thrash here and there is pretty much perfect. I highly recommend this album, especially to those who liked "Pure As The Blood Covered Snow" ... if you liked that one this one will blow you away.

After waiting for a very long time for this cd to come out, I am very pleased at the content. They have advanced musically and the sound is wonderful on this release. The lyrics are very Christian, denouncing Satan and uplifting other Christians. If you like heavy, fast, brutal Unblack metal, this is a great release. God bless!

I HEARD ALOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THIS BAND.I HAD TO CHECK THEM OUT.THEY ARE WHAT WOULD EQUAL TO A CHRISTIAN VERSION OF CRADLE OF FILTH ONLY HEAVIER AND MORE MELODIC.THIS IS A DEF MUST FOR ANY TRUE METAL FAN ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LIKE CRADLE OR DIMMU.ALSO THE CHRISTIAN BAND HORDE

Hailing from Kansas City, these Extreme Metalers are a force to be reconed with. Black Metal could not sound better. With high-pitched shrieks and epic guitar playing and drumming, this album is fun to listen to. I hope this band lasts for many years to come.

This album has become one of my all time favorites. I probably listen to this more than any other Christian metal band, and that's saying a lot! I am continuously amazed by the vocalist's range and complete brutality.

If you enjoy extreme black metal crossed with death metal sensibilities, then you will love this album. Tophet is really, really good. I never considered myself a black metal fan until this album. All glory to Jehovah Jesus the Lord of Darkness!!!!!!!

This cd is awful...And it's not as much that everything about it is just terrible, it's just that if one thing was different, it would be really good. The guitars, strings, drums, bass, etc. sound awesome. The vocals are a different story. They are terrible. They sound like a mix of someone vomiting and a cat coughing up a hairball. I'm completely serious. I don't expect you to believe me yourself, but do yourself a favor and listen to the samples before you buy this. I don't know, you might like it. But listen to it first because it was completely not what I was expecting. If you like black metal, then try Aletheian or Horde.

I am an avid supporter of Christian artists, and I am a huge metal fan. I have to say, however, that this album was a complete disappointment. It's unfortunate that the audio clips on Amazon are low quality, otherwise I would have been able to discern that the drummer uses an electronic drum set. The drumming is very poor- not just the poor quality of the electronic set, but at many times he is off tempo and doesn't play with the instruments. The vocals are laughable (I actually laughed while listening in the car). Don't get me wrong- I love both high-pitched and gutteral screams for vocals, but this was absolutely horrible. The high-pitched vocals sounded like a Smurf talking quickly, and the low-pitched vocals sounded like a Smurf trying to sound manly. The lyrical content is not all that uplifting, either. It seems as though they are trying to trick their intended audience of typical black-metal fans into thinking they're a traditional "Hail Satan"-style band, but then throwing in a few "gotchas" to indicate they indeed are Christians. From the other three reviews posted on Amazon, I can tell that Frost Like Ashes does have a following, so perhaps you may enjoy this CD afterall. If you're a typical fan of melodic metal, though, I doubt you will be interested in this offering.