Avzhia - Dark Emperors (2020 Reissue) (LP + EP)

Special 12" + 7" edition includes the complete 1996 Dark Emperors album with six tracks on 12" and the last two songs (listed as bonus tracks on the original release) on 7".

A classic of Mexican black metal steeped in the ancient spirit of the '90s, AVZHIA's Dark Emperors was originally released in 1996 on CD and cassette by the short-lived Storm Productions, which also released Kawir's Epoptia. And while many hordes across the world were galvanized by then by the extracurricular activities of Scandinavians in the early '90s, few full-length black metal albums came from Mexican soil during that time. Thus, Dark Emperors stands as a monument of its era and also a perfect encapsulation of the madness 'n' mysticism of the mid '90s.
Indeed, AVZHIA here establish (and envelop the listener in) an atmosphere of medieval splendor, the riffing cleaner and more clanging in a manner reminiscent of early Helheim (Norway) or Kampfar. Suitably, the song lengths are extended and generously so, further enveloping the listener in an eldritch fog that's rich in the breath of night. Naturally, synths are sparing but extremely effective, at times even evoking cobwebbed organ played deep within a castle's keep...