Recording history

Tophet was recorded at Nosral Studios and was produced and mixed by Frost Like Ashes. The album was originally supposed to be released by Psycho Acoustic Records which had signed the band. However, after the album was sent to be manufactured, the owner of the label died. Psycho Acoustix was closed, and the band members purchased the copies and sent them to distributors in 2005. In 2006 a distribution deal was signed with Open Grave Records which made the album available for a larger audience.

The cover art depicts a Norwegian stave church

Stave church

A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...

 which is associated with the early 1990s church burnings related to the early black metal scene. In some interviews the band has said that the cover is a stance against these acts. The album title "Tophet

Tophet

Tophet or Topheth is believed to be a location in Jerusalem, in the Valley of Hinnom, where the Canaanites sacrificed children to the god Moloch by burning them alive. The Hebrew Bible also mentions what appears to be child sacrifice practiced at a place called the Tophet by the Canaanites,...

" is Hebrew language and is a location near Jerusalem where according to the Bible, the Canaanites sacrificed children to the god Moloch by burning them alive. Tophet became a synonym for hell

Hell

In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...

.

Musically, the album showcase a hybrid on death and black metal with keyboards and sometimes show clear thrash metal elements. The style is comparable to that of Possession with more black metal elements and without glam metal vocals. "Nightfall's Cold Kiss" and "A Cruel Verse" are re-recorded versions of songs that were previously released on the band's EP and on a compilation album. The vocals shift between several extreme metal styles from high pitched shrieking to deep death growl to whispered speaking voice. The lyrical approach is known to be harsh and extreme.

Tophet has received positive reviews and has helped Frost Like Ashes gain more popularity and notoriety.

Track listing

1. "A Terrible Visitation" - 6:46
2. "Desecrator" - 3:44
3. "Of Spirit And Power" - 6:36
4. "Nightfall's Cold Kiss" - 5:30
5. "A Cruel Verse" - 4:54
6. "Crucifixion" - 2:47
7. "Execution by Fire" - 4:41
8. "Shattered Gods" - 6:07
9. "Lord of Darkness" - 7:33

Line-up

• Azahel – Vocals
• Sebat – Guitar
• Ruach – Bass
• Adonijah – Drums
• Qoheleth – Keyboard

External links

• Album at Metal-Archives