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Valhom were a great underground Black Metal band, but that project ended over ten years ago (you can't really say that a one-man band "broke up"). Temple of Gorgon is the new project by Geist, the mastermind behind that band, as well as a member of some other little-known but quality acts like Damnation Winds. I got the debut demo for this project earlier this year, and now we have the full-length release on hand with Throats of Lie.

Once again this presents a dense, aggressive soundscape with heavy guitars and a production job that is clear and sharp without being too slick. There is a lot of cool atonality in the riffs, and sometimes unsettling string sounds and background noise to add a tense underlayer to the music. This is not Black Metal that is trying to be friendly at all, despite how professional it is. I really enjoy the dark atmosphere, and the refusal to compromise anything to make a more accessible recording. This is not low-fi, "basement" Black Metal by a long shot, but the songwriting is dark and intent and very second-wave in the way it uses keys and pacing to control mood. An excellent debut.