Making it through each day the past, oh I don’t know, decade, has been a slog, and it feels heavy every single day not knowing what inexplicable horse shit awaits. That’s just in this country, and things are pretty harrowing in most other places, so trying to find strength and thrive in the face of misery and decay very much is an accomplishment.
“Helios,” the expansive fifth record from German force Firtan, focuses on enlightenment and the thorny path we must take to get there sometimes. The music and approach are more ambitious than ever before, presenting the fullest version of the band, proving they survived any bumps and bruises over the years to thrive in this environment. The band—vocalist/guitarist/keyboard player Phillip Thienger, guitarist Chris S., bassist/vocalist Oliver König, violin player/vocalist Klara Bachmair, drummer David Kempf—excels over these 12 tracks and 63 minutes, exploring different sounds and textures that make their style of black metal even more colorful.
“Himsa” is a brief opener with strings and woodwinds, pushing into “Kalika’s Tongue” that feels like it arrived from space before howls and clean singing bustle, and drama claws its way into your psyche. Guitars stagger as strings sweep, group chants rouse, and the final moments batter. “Ambrosia” wallows in darkness, creaky talking sneaking, the pace pummeling, howls striking chests before a sense of cold arrives. Growls battle as detached singing gives a haunting feel, keys glimmer, and group calls prod. “Solis Currus” drips, taking a calculated pace, roars arriving as the strings ache, the ambiance getting airy before ugly. The playing slips into the shadows, helping the drama thicken, howls stretching as a morbid finish sinks. “Ascension” has strings gathering, beastly growls alongside them, attacking, cooling, and torching again. The melodies glow before the center combusts, dual voices carrying the message, a dreaminess luring you beyond. “Wide Open Eye” barrels and blasts, the playing storming with fury, guitars tangling and trudging. The pace unglues, guitars torching as the speed increases, a frantic pace rising then busting.
The title track is immersive, liquifying as growls strike, strings dizzy, and we flow into a gentler section, guitars stirring before the pace guts again. Growls smear as group singing feels like it’s arriving from a fever dream, guitars then picking up the pace. The footing gets muddier, heat rises, and the guitars stagger, the heat thickening before relenting. “The Form Revealed” blisters, speedy guitars driving, black metal riffs taking flight. Steam threatens as howls engulf, a monstrous tempo taking hold, bristling and punching out. “Revealing Prana” is an instrumental interlude, acoustics echoing as your blood pressure normalizes. “The Hierophant Way” features James McClellan Dorton III of Ne Obliviscaris and runs 11:42, stirring and storming as howls mash, chants stinging as the mists grow more ominous. The playing then trudges, growls crashing as melodies drip, an animalistic burst coming to life. Speaking mesmerizes as the band unloads, devastating before going cold. Bachmair’s singing haunts, the track taking on ice, chilling before the power stabs, howls stretching into bells and winds whipping. “Shadows of a Dawn Unborn” guests Christian Höll of Vinsta, and acoustics brush, Bachmair’s singing soothing, strings gathering as a chambery note strikes, horns glaze, and the final moments settle. There also is a cover of Bathory’s “Man of Iron,” and they add their own charismatic stamp to this black metal classic.
“Helios” is a rare metal album in 2026 that goes the enlightenment path, when destruction would be so easy. Firtan instead take the pathway toward bettering oneself, trying to get stronger and more resilient as the world around you gets increasingly more chaotic. It’s an album to which you can devote an hour and come out with a clearer mind.
For more on the band, go here: https://firtan.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://shop.aoprecords.de/gb/
For more on the label, go here: http://www.aoprecords.de/
