Norwegian brutal death metallers Chton are a band that draws on a wide range of influences. Ranging from the likes of old veterans such as Immolation and Morbid Angel over to black metal icons like Darkthrone and Immortal but this without ever sounding like a clone. Once in a while a few hints to modern noise-like metal pop up in the soundscape. At first I found this very annoying but the more I listen to the album the more it fits in and actually adds quite a bit to the coldness of the music.

Their debut Chtonian Lifecode is a dark and hateful album that pushes the listener over the edge and into the cold and emotionless shadow filled pits. This is as the opener rightfully indicates an "Invitation to Hell" and the band doesn't at any time let the listener escape their dim confine in the deep. The music is diverse and organic without ever becoming totally breathtaking. But still it lies a good deal above the average and this is mainly due to the diversity of the songs which is packed with odd breaks, tempo shifts, obscure riffs and twisted harmonies.

The album may not contribute with anything unheard but still it seems slightly out of the ordinary and one thing is certain Chtonian Lifecode doesn't sound like the average death metal album so if you like something a little different than the usual then Chton is a band worth checking out.