If there is any good news in the extreme music scene lately, it is that many emerging bands are leaving ample room for experimentation. Recently, metal has managed to break away from its ancient, ridiculous stereotypes, achieving a qualitatively high level of experimentation—even in its rawest forms.
Athanatos (or rather Ruin, the enigmatic and dark figure pulling the strings from above) have not given any of this the slightest consideration. Instead, they remain staunchly anchored to the great classics of the past, though they successfully reconfigure them in an often innovative and captivating way. Beneath the grotesque theatricality and the imitation of the Scandinavian Second Wave scene lies a surprisingly firm sense of order. The central figure of the project goes by the name of Ruin, who composes and plays all of the band's tracks (with rare exceptions), relying on a live lineup of musicians for performances. The origin of Ruin's project and musical career dates back to 2024 with an unpolished EP titled Every time the night falls, released under the moniker Wilwarin. Despite the clear immaturity of the project, one can perceive a deep underlying creative process. It yielded a release that felt more like a demo than a proper EP, which, if not entirely valuable, was at least significant from the perspective of musical creativity.
The actual Athanatos project came to light later in 2024 with the single Dreaming. Noteworthy elements include the use of synthesizers at the beginning of the track and the near-drone outro, which began shaping a dark, repetitive, and highly intense atmosphere that was already in its embryonic stage in Every time the night falls.
The crown jewel of the project emerged shortly after the first single, offering a reinterpretation of old-school raw black metal through a lens that is surprising for an emerging act. One can hear influences of dungeon synth, atmospheric black metal, and DSBM—at times mixed in a chaotic fashion, yet always maintaining a significant and undeniable presence. I am referring to the EP The Realm of the Undead, a brief effort that attempts to carry forward the clichés of the genre (without transcending them) without the need to devolve into post-black or complex experimentalism. The attempt to forge an aesthetic that marries the darkness of black metal with the myth of classical antiquity lends originality to the project. Furthermore, the work was released in a limited run of twenty-five physical copies distributed directly by the band, fostering a do-it-yourself circuit that is always refreshing to see alive and well. Among the lyrics, the only ones that stand out slightly belong to the third track, Nocturnal Transformation. From a purely musical standpoint, the interesting synthesizer interludes are worth noting (particularly the one between the end of the second track and the beginning of the third). On the fourth track, Spell, the use of synthesizers is decidedly functional, though the vocals could have been better balanced.
This was followed in 2025 by the EP Kosmogonia, a record that requires time to fully digest. While not quite on the same level as the previous release, it showcases notable strides forward. The instrumentation improves, even if it does not entirely break free from the imitative influence of the classics (specifically Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth). In this case, the only lyrics to stand out are those of Exode. It is on this EP that I found what I consider the highest peak of Athanatos's career: the outro of the final track. It hits instantly with a sensational blending of sounds, shattering all the sonic violence that preceded it. The violence turns into bewilderment, the bewilderment into a resignation to pain, and the pain into a new darkness. An acquiescent, fatalistic darkness.
Later in 2025, the project released another single, Ancient Northern Metal Attack, which I could not fully appreciate in the same way as their other works. While the production quality and form improve, it clearly lacks the depth of content found in their earlier material.
This is a band to keep an eye on within the international metal landscape for the potential contribution they could bring to the Mediterranean extreme scene. I will leave the link to the band's page on Encyclopaedia Metallum, where you can browse their biography and lyrics.
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