Rheia (album)
Rheia is the third studio album by Belgian band Oathbreaker. The album was produced by Jack Shirley and released through independent record label Deathwish Inc. on September 30, 2016. Oathbreaker toured internationally in support of "Rheia" from September until December with Skeletonwitch and Iron Reagan. The title references Rhea, mother to the six principal Olympians in Greek mythology. Reception. "Rheia" was well received by music critics upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on five reviews, indicating "generally favorable  reviews." "Exclaim!"s Natalie Zina Walschots thought that the band has released "a vast and complex record that doesn't just react toward but actively embraces the aesthetics of doom and sludge." Andy O'Conor of Pitchfork said of the album: "While still fairly beholden to black metal, "Rheia" shares a core ideal with Cobalt's "Slow Forever" and Deafheaven's "New Bermuda": They broke out of black metal's stylistic confines, using it as a launching pad more than a set of totalitarian marching orders, and in the process became emotive, powerful "metal" albums." PopMatters critic Chris Conaton described the record  as "wonderful in terms of contrasting black metal fury with quieter moments," but thought that the songwriting lags behind the atmosphere." Sputnikmusic staff critic Tristan Jones described the album as "a swan song," writing that the record "demonstrates the band’s evident progress instrumentally and vocally and [Jack] Shirley’s influence takes them to new heights, and chasmic lows." Track listing. All music and lyrics written by Oathbreaker. Personnel. "Rheia" personnel adapted from CD liner notes.