French Black Metal heroes AOSOTH are back with a new album, titled "IV: An Arrow In Heart". The band’s previous album, simply titled as "III", was the first outing that I had personally heard from this trio, and it left me kinda hungry for more. AOSOTH ain’t really any of your typical, norse and grim sounding, 3rd rate copycats of some DARTHRONE or IMMORTAL or MARDUK albums, but have bravely chosen to pretty much their own, uncompromising Black Metal style that doesn’t spit on any little experimenting here and there, or being afraid of sucking in some avantgarde elements into their own stuff. The band’s fourth album – as it was already expected, doesn’t offer an easy listen to anyone. The main musical emphasis on the album is clearly on twisted, pitch-black atmospheres that the album’s is totally packed with: the opener and title track ‘An Arrow In Heart’ pretty much sets the main tone for the whole record right from the very beginning, lasting over 10 minutes – and surprisingly succeeding at not boring its listener due to being such a smartly and thought-out built tune all in all. AOSOTH have managed to create their own unique style over the years, employing all kinds of dissonant ingredients within their sound that truly set them apart from the majority of today’s Black Metal hordes. Also, the production is absolutely top-notch on the record; like a real, professionally done studio effort and not any rehearsal standard type of product by any means – just for the sake of adding some more "trveness" or "kvltness" into the band’s already grim and ominous enough profile, which would be kinda ridiculous even. As said earlier, "IV: An Arrow In Heart" isn’t your regular ‘meat & potatoes’ type of Black Metal but goes way more beyond than offering just the basics, so to speak. "IV: An Arrow In Heart" is a pretty darn aspiring work from this French trio nonetheless, which they should be very proud of at the end of the day, I think. The band’s official pitch-black home cave can be found at www.aosoth.fr, label: www.agoniarecords.com