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TZEVAOT “The Hermetic Way”
TZEVAOT “The Hermetic Way”
By Dr. Abner Mality
For those who don’t know, hermeticism is a philosophical magical tradition that is rooted in both Greek and Egyptian mysticism. It’s concerned with the nature of reality and how the human soul can perfect itself and rise to transcend physical existence. Thus endeth the lesson for today…
It’s no surprise that a metal project totally based on hermetic philosophy would emerge on the esoteric I, Voidhanger label. There are a lot of involved philosophical metal bands on the label, but none more devoted to hermeticism than TZEVAOT, a one man project created by a Middle Eastern thinker known as The Orator. “The Hermetic Way” is almost obsessively devoted to the process of “human alchemy”. Much of the lyrical content is taken directly from the old writings of Hermes Trismegistus and Zosimos The Alchemist. If this sounds complicated and pretentious, well...it is.
Musically, TZEVAOT is a mixture of black metal, progressive rock and Middle Eastern influences. It’s an interesting and lively sound that is unfortunately hindered by a mediocre production. There are a lot of snarling and aggressive black metal riffs, but the guitar sound is just so dry and harsh...it’s almost like The Orator took too much influence from the desert of Morocco where he hails from. There’s not enough bass behind the riffs and the production just saps power from what would otherwise be huge and uplifting. Progressive textures play just as important a role here and there’s a lot of classic piano work mixed right into the metal parts. Sometimes the keys take over, like the strange, almost ragtime track “The Hero of Megiddo”, which sounds like an out-take from “Jesus Christ, Superstar”.
TZEVAOT reminds me of the approach of Japan’s SIGH with their eclecticism. Songs range from the compact and raging “Zosimos The Alchemist” to the lengthy and wildly progressive “Pyres of Meaning Light The New Aeon’s Way”. The Orator’s raspy vocals also remind me of Mirai from SIGH. The album is certainly an interesting journey fully immersed in its subject matter, but the indifferent production keeps it from being the classic it could have been.
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