Debut album, “Consume Us”, out on October 8th!
A bolt from the blue, but perhaps not totally unexpected given its esteemed membership: Illusive Key are as accurately monikered as their public debut Consume Us is compellingly titled. We’ll dispense with the too-oft-abused “supergroup” tag and simply say that the trio includes MK of Häxenzijrkell, CSQN of Trogne, and the absurdly prolific Déhà. Not surprisingly, their work as Illusive Key is black metal that’s both stridently traditional and concertedly hallucinogenic.
Comprising four elongated, time-evaporating tracks across a taut 32 minutes, Consume Us bears the characteristic catharsis of its creators, that pulsing-ever-onwards tension teasingly leading to almost-unbearable release. Its obsidian jetstream initially seems skeletal on the surface, but as expected with the likes of these three, there’s subtle layers built up into a fascinating tableau of tweaked sound. As such, Consume Us was recorded at Déhà’s Opus Magnum Studios, lending a true auteur’s touch that thankfully doesn’t forego black metal’s core fundamentals. The only option, then, is to follow the title’s lead and allow oblivion to embrace thee.
