Quebec City newcomers AETERNAM have studied their BEHEMOTH lessons on melodic brutality, brushed up on their NILE flourishes of ancient discovery, and even reviewed their early IRON MAIDEN mystical Power Metal texts, and the result is their impressive debut album "Disciples Of The Unseen".

AETERNAM's first entry (and shouldn't every band so lucky to have their introduction to the world be on the hallowed Metal Blade?) runs a just-right 44 minutes and balances Blackened Death and Power Thrash nicely, consistently keeping thing interesting and refusing to fall victim to expected patterns or long ruts hammering the same path. Rooted in stories of ancient civilizations and musical aesthetics that match said journeys, "Disciples Of The Unseen" would sound natural and cosmically fitting emanating during a walk past the pyramids or while polishing the sword collection for battle.

Added to AETERNAM's Death/Thrash cauldron are Goth-style, atmospheric keyboards and plenty of Middle Eastern acoustics that add character and dog-eared edges to their pages. Achraf Loudiy serves as a fine frontman, letting his caustic howls and growls guide him most of the way, but slipping easily into cleaner terrain when called for, such as on the dramatic "The Coronation Of Seth" and the soaring choruses that bolster "Esoteric Formulae".

AETERNAM certainly don't shy away from exploratory passages and dusty ambiance, which they prove on closer "Through the Eyes Of Ea" and "Iteru," which lets flutes and quiet strings set the course, but when they unload the artillery, they do so with a vengeance and a purpose on "Angels Horned," which might as well be this record's calling card; cymbal-punishing (Antoine Guertin owes his drum kit a sincere apology), finger-tapping madness of "Circle In Flames"; and the aggressive and shifty "Goddess Of Masr". It's a good guess that somewhere, the gods of war are smiling broadly on this new, deadly entry to the Metal world.