Review by Adam M on August 23, 2010.

A Black Metal release that has a bit of everything in it is to be found here. There’s a symphonic quality that enraptures, but also a natural Black Metal flavour that gives the album authenticity. It creates a rich sound that is unique to Arketh’s brand of metal music. If one had to compare them to a band, however, they are somewhat similar to Emperor. There’s purity and passion to be found here that elevates the music a couple of extra notches. It would be slightly less compelling without the amount of effort the band puts forth.

The music is certainly melodic, but it’s also relatively raw as well. This should please both fans of more true Black Metal as well as those looking for something a little more adventurous. It has enough of a varied tone to appeal to a wide variety of listeners. Songs tend to be quite long to give the band the opportunity to add extra dimensions to their sound. It could be interpreted that the tracks are a little overdone, but they generally seem to remain pretty focused. There’s even an addition of female vocals to the usual Black Metal variety on some moments of the disc and they add colour.

Their epic nature is shown well in the final track 'Upon The Golden Walls Of Dreaming' that has enough twists and changes to keep you enthralled for a while. The remainder of the tracks also manage to add enough shifting charisma to keep you occupied. Though there are symphonic elements, there are also enough pure Black Metal portions to make this appeal to a variety of different kinds Black Metal fans. IX & I:The Quintessence Of Algaresh is a solid release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7.5
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 7.9

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on August 23, 2010.

A Black Metal release that has a bit of everything in it is to be found here. There’s a symphonic quality that enraptures, but also a natural Black Metal flavour that gives the album authenticity. It creates a rich sound that is unique to Arketh’s brand of metal music. If one had to compare them to a band, however, they are somewhat similar to Emperor. There’s purity and passion to be found here that elevates the music a couple of extra notches. It would be slightly less compelling without the amount of effort the band puts forth.

The music is certainly melodic, but it’s also relatively raw as well. This should please both fans of more true Black Metal as well as those looking for something a little more adventurous. It has enough of a varied tone to appeal to a wide variety of listeners. Songs tend to be quite long to give the band the opportunity to add extra dimensions to their sound. It could be interpreted that the tracks are a little overdone, but they generally seem to remain pretty focused. There’s even an addition of female vocals to the usual Black Metal variety on some moments of the disc and they add colour.

Their epic nature is shown well in the final track 'Upon The Golden Walls Of Dreaming' that has enough twists and changes to keep you enthralled for a while. The remainder of the tracks also manage to add enough shifting charisma to keep you occupied. Though there are symphonic elements, there are also enough pure Black Metal portions to make this appeal to a variety of different kinds Black Metal fans. IX & I:The Quintessence Of Algaresh is a solid release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7.5
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 7.9

Rating: 7.7 out of 10