Moonlight Sorcery – Nightwind: The Conqueror from the Stars

8/10

I guess their first EP which brought them to the scene caught a lot of ears off-guard and that veil of mystery has been lifted, so it’s not that much of a surprise how good Nightwind is from a songwriting and musicianship point of view.

Moonlight Sorcery hails from Tampere, Finland. They got everyone from Sarah (Banger TV) to bloggers to rave eloquently about their debut EP from last year titled Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity. It is not without any reason that this band has received such acclaim. They play a style of symphonic melodic black metal with neoclassical leanings. An oversimplified genre descriptor would be like Emperor and Yngwie Malmsteen having a baby in the backdrop of the harsh and grim Finnish winter landscape.

Many had enjoyed their first EP and it was surprising that they announced a second EP towards the end of 2022. This followup EP is titled Nightwind: The Conqueror from the Stars, and it has been available digitally since December 2022, while the physical release date was 13 January 2023. Nightwind consists of three original songs and a cover by greek black metal band Agatus.

Nightwind opens with Ancient Sword of Hate, which starts off almost in a nonchalant manner but very soon the melancholic organ parts kick in and this builds into the exceptional guitar work that we associate with the band already. Yötuulten kutsu is the next track which translates to “call of the night winds”. The track opens in a thrash-y manner and the verse-chorus sections are filled to the brim with melody and some of the catchiest riffs you’ll hear on the EP. It evokes a heroic feeling and the upbeat rhythm doubles down on that feeling.

Constellations is the next track. It is an instrumental clocking in over seven minutes long. The Wintersun influence is strong in this intro but that’s where the comparison ends because Moonlight Sorcery makes this track their own. Constellations feels like a journey. The guitar work exudes virtuosity but at the same time it is not sweeps or solos for the sake of it, but each section feels thoughtfully created.

The last track on the EP is a cover of Agatus’s Black Moon’s Blood from their Dawn of Martyrdom album, which was released in 1996. I think Moonlight has taken this track and made it fit perfectly with their style and in this EP. They’ve, quite naturally, infused their symphonic elements and also subtly added bombastic drum sounds, which provides that extra oomph (almost post-punk-y), while still retaining the essence of this old school track. The vocals are more high-pitched and fit it well too. Overall, it was total justice to the original while making it sound very Moonlight Sorcery-like.

The instrumentation and the musicianship on Nightwind is top notch. The rhythm guitars feel very rich and warm. I do not need to mention the exceptional solos and guitar leads, because I feel that I’ve overstated that fact more than a couple of times. The bass is played loud and proud and you can hear it clearly through the album and it does a great job of being the rhythmic skeleton in all songs. I’m not a fan of symphonic black metal, primarily due to the keys but I must say, like their first EP, I am a big fan of how the band uses keys. Just the right mix.

Overall, I think Nightwind is a worthy successor to Piercing, and it is also more, for lack of a better word, straightforward sounding as well. I guess their first EP which brought them to the scene caught a lot of ears off-guard and that veil of mystery has been lifted, so it’s not that much of a surprise how good Nightwind is from a songwriting and musicianship point of view. The challenge for bands aren’t the one-hit wonders but about sustaining their ability to churn out killer music from time to time. In that regard, Moonlight Sorcery has exceeded all expectations and I look forward to what the band does next!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Berator - Elysian Inferno

8/10

I’d describe Berator as a black/death metal band with strong thrashy moments. If you dig bands like Archgoat, Order from Chaos and Destroyer 666 then Berator would be a shoo-in for you.

Berator hail from Chicago and are one of the newer bands on the illustrious Dark Descent Records roster. Their newly released ‘Elysian Inferno’ EP is my first introduction to the band. Prior to this EP, Berator put out a two song demo titled ‘R.A.I.D.S’ and those songs are also featured on ‘Elysian Inferno’. At first glance of the logo and album cover, I get strong vibes of black/death metal. But that’s me judging a book by its cover. What further cemented my suspicions were the band members’ partial involvement with acts like Profanatica and The Chasm as per Metal Archives. 

‘Elysian Inferno’ clocks in at slightly over 22 minutes and the six tracks went about in dizzyingly quick manner. After multiple listens, I can confidently say that my initial suspicions were not too far. I’d describe Berator as a black/death metal band with strong thrashy moments. If you dig bands like Archgoat, Order from Chaos and Destroyer 666 then Berator would be a shoo-in for you. 

The first track, ‘Sultans of Incest’ has a build up which then hits you hard in a frenzied chaotic manner. Midway the song hammers down the riffs hard. It’s definitely a promising start to the EP. ‘Onslaught to Absolution’ carries on this tempo of punishing black/death metal. ‘Dead Rats’ is a track that gets more interesting in the second half. The track explodes into hard hitting riffs, a black/thrashy section and then whammy bar guitar solos. ‘War Lust’ is heavy and creates a wall of sound but at this time for me, it feels a bit repetitive. I can commend the guitar solo and the barrage of riffs immediately after that which make it enjoyable. ‘Final crucifixion’ has a slower opening and pounds away in a very Archgoat like manner. Crushing mid-paced caveman riffs. The song does switch it up a bit with blastbeats in between. ‘Swine Cult’ is the last track on the EP. The guitars sound more buzzsaw-y than usual. It cuts right through. Out of the six tracks, I felt some were not as memorable but ‘Swine Cult’, ‘Sultans of Incest’ and ‘Final Crucifixion’ were definitely my highlights.

Right off the bat, when someone utters black/death and a band which is on a roster like Dark Descent’s, you’d imagine a muddled cavernous production. Berator’s production is somewhere between “medium rare” and “well done”. It’s perfect for my taste wherein the various instruments and vocals are equally audible. The vocals, although a tad “distant” and echo-y, it doesn’t get buried in the mix. The guitars are crisp yet raw. The rhythm section of drums and bass are tight. 

To sum up, I enjoyed ‘Elysian Inferno’. It’s a band true to their style and influences. They’re neither original nor do they seek to be original. So in that sense, the EP won’t blow you out of the water but the band’s efforts to create a slab of music which is hard hitting and honest to their influences is something worthy of checking out. 

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Ultra Silvam - The Sanctity of Death

8/10

Ultra Silvam pay homage to the gods while still retaining what is original to them and have a prominent place in the black metal underground!

Ultra Silvam are a relatively new band and have been around for a little over half a decade. I was eagerly waiting to catch them live at the 2020 edition of the Hell over Hammaburg festival but alas my plans had changed severely due to the burgeoning pandemic. Fast forward two years later to today and I couldn’t be happier to see that they have a sophomore album. Their debut, The Spearwound Salvation, was received with much acclaim and it put the band on the (black metal) map. Their follow up album, The Sanctity of Death, was released recently and I’ll do my best to give you a glimpse of what is in store for your ears.

Ultra Silvam hail from Mälmo, Sweden. To say that they just play black metal is a bit of disservice in describing their music. Their music has foundations of 80s heavy, thrash and black metal. You can hear a bit of Bathory, Venom, Nifelheim but also the second wave of black metal influences. Expect some riffy, thrashy black metal played through an almost lo-fi filter. It’s definitely discernible but has all the aesthetics that will excite any old school fan.

The album commences with Dies Irae which starts off with a bass intro and culminates into a chaotic frenzy. There is a mix of harsh and orchestral vocals. The song packs a lot in less than four minutes of running time. Definitely a promising start! Sodom vies himlafärd is a mid-paced, hypnotic track with a thrashy second half. It felt almost as if I was listening to Nekromantheon. The album title track was next but it was a bit of a disappointment. It felt a bit like a filler track compared to the first two. Tintinnabuli Diaboli is an instrumental interlude and clearly marks the half-way point of the album.

The second half of the album continues with Förintelsens andeväsen del II: Den deicidala transsubstantiationens mysterium. The track starts off in a very similar chaotic manner like Dies Irae. The riffs are frenetic and hypnotic. The track ends with the eerie sounds of wind chimes and organs. Black Soil Fornication is yet another mid-paced track but it probably has your atypical black metal riffs as an opener. It’ll get you air-guitaring in no time. Ultra Silvam do a great job combining the different ideas in the song to make it sound very seamless. It’s simple yet intricate. Incarnation Reverse starts off ferociously and transitions into sections which have some elements of Finnish black metal. By this I mean it is fast-paced yet melodic. The thrash-y quality is retained. The album closer, Of Molded Bread and Rotten Wine, opens terrifically with the kind of off-kilter guitar riffs that Black Soil Fornication also had. Most of the track is largely high on tempo with a few breaks of spoken word and transitions. The track ends with some exquisite dual guitar work and gives you the impression that the world is about to come to an apocalyptic end! Considering everything that is happening in the world, it is quite fitting!

In terms of dissecting the instrumentation on the album, I reckon the stand out performance is the guitars. It sounds massive, very rough with the gain pumped high as the sky and the old school tone is just perfect. I felt the solos were a bit drowned out but were still audible. The dual approach to the vocals is right up my alley. So if you like the harsh and raspy vocals which is not typical of the second wave of black metal, then you will enjoy this. The rhythm section of bass and drums come through quite well and form the backbone of the album. I quite like that the bass is audible throughout the songs.

If I were to compare the band’s two albums, I think the Sanctity of Death is a bit more “refined” but it definitely continues what the Spearwound Salvation sought to achieve. With greater refinement, I think there’s a bit of compromise in terms of energy but it’s marginal. Yes, I would’ve liked more high octane, headbang-y tracks like A Skull Full of Stars (on their debut), but at the same time I see the band is growing in their musicianship and songwriting ways. Either way, I think the band’s sophomore effort is highly recommended especially if you enjoy the sounds of bands like Nifelheim, Watain, Bathory (the black/thrashy era) and Taake. Ultra Silvam pay homage to the gods while still retaining what is original to them and have a prominent place in the black metal underground!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Qrixkuor – Poison Palinopsia

9/10

‘Poison Palinopsia’ is a journey to be undertaken and it is by no means a casual listen.

Qrixkuor, a band whose pronunciation might get many tongues in a twist, have gone through a transformation over the past five years since their last release. With only the original guitarist ‘S.’ at the helm, DBH and VK of Grave Miasma and Vassafor fame respectively were recruited to join the ranks. As a result of this diabolic congregation, Qrixkuor’s first full length album came to life!

‘Poison Palinopsia‘ is ambitious to say the least. It consists of two tracks, each twenty-four minutes long. It proves that the band pursues and prioritizes its own creative interest rather than conforming to the norms. Qrixkuor are a death metal outfit alright, but in my opinion, they’re more of an “atmosphere” band than a “riffs” band. And by that I mean, the album sounds like a soundtrack made by an alternate reality Hans Zimmer who is a major fan of Portal, cavernous death metal and the like. Speaking of cavernous and black/death metal, I often come across bands going the extreme route to be “heavy” for the sake of it, but they eventually end up sounding try hard. I get no such vibes from Qrixkuor and it becomes eminently clear from the two tracks that the band’s aural nightmare of a sound feels very organically grown. It doesn’t seem to be intentionally inaccessible and it’s probably just how S, the founding member and main songwriter, views his brainchild.

The first track ‘Serpentine Susurrus – Mother’s Abomination’ opens up in an entrancing buildup, where the atmosphere grows suffocatingly with each passing minute. Around the sixth minute mark is when the tempo really kicks in highlighting the trio’s death metal roots. Midway in this twenty-four minute song, there’s a period to rest thy ears. Organ and ambient sounds take charge. I was expecting Phurpa-like mystical throat singing to intervene but that was just my mind playing tricks with me. ‘Serpentine Susurrus’ gets back on track with more blast beats with horrorific and ominous sounding guitar leads. The track culminates with haunting keys and fades away into oblivion.

The second track ‘Recrudescent Malevolence – Mother’s Illumination’ opens up in much the same manner as the first track had ended. Pound for pound, this track has more “musical instrumentation” and is loaded with guitar virtuosity. The leads, the tappings, the riffs, the pounding bass and drum onslaught all come together in this behemoth of a track. The orchestral outro is very fitting as the album-closer and it conjures up an image of a haunted playground about to get engulfed by something netherworldly!

The production is stellar on the album making it sound dark, brooding yet triumphant (in an evil way) while not compromising on the band’s grisly death metal roots. The instruments, the orchestral and atmospheric sounds meld perfectly together. I honestly can’t pinpoint a weakness in this album. Perhaps I’d say it’s a “black or white” album – it’s either something up your alley or it isn’t with nothing in between. ‘Poison Palinopsia’ is a journey to be undertaken and it is by no means a casual listen. It probably requires you to be in a certain frame of mind – let’s just say contemplative, reflective and brooding. At least that’s what worked for me. It took me at least a couple of listens for my appreciation to grow and I’d recommend putting in the time.

The album is out now on Invictus Productions as well as on Dark Descent and it sure will turn more than a couple of heads in the underground!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

StarGazer - Psychic Secretions

9/10

StarGazer’s music is an experience which requires multiple immersions and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for good old school progressive death/black metal.

It’s been a while since I heard any new StarGazer and chancing upon ‘Psychic Secretions’ got me excited. The band has been around for twenty five years but it was their magnum opus ‘Scream that tore the sky’, released in 2005, that got the underground buzzing with their esoteric brand of blackened death metal. Since then, these Aussies have churned out three full-lengths and a host of singles and demos. ‘Psychic Secretions’ is their most recent effort and it further stamps the band’s authority in the annals of Australian underground metal.

If you’re unfamiliar with StarGazer, then expect progressive death metal played through a black metal filter, all while having very jazzy basslines. Whether you call it avantgarde or progressive extreme metal, it’s up to you. Any comparisons to past or present bands would be a disservice to the band. The band’s sound stands on its own. On listening to ‘Psychic Screams’, one instantly recognizes that this is something that would come from the band’s stable. The incredible range of switching from technical guitar wizardry to blast-beats to melancholic slow tempo passages to ritualistic ambient moments, all make StarGazer very unique.

No two tracks are similar and the band experiments with different structures almost as if they intend to take the listener on different journeys. I’d like to describe the songs that were my highlights. ‘Lash of the Tytans’ starts off with a melodic doom-y intro but soon rips into a verse laden with blast-beats before slowing down to a more double-bassy melodic chorus. ‘Hooves’ features warm drone-y riffs which will send you into a trance only to be woken up by the double-bass as the song gathers momentum. The ‘All Knowing Cold’ plays around with plenty of ideas. It’s a beautiful mess with eccentric guitar melodies, bass passages and ends with a chant, probably to conjure something ghastly. I love it and it’s my favorite track on the album.

The musicianship is masterful. If you’ve been a fan of the band (I wear my StarGazer metal pin proudly on my jacket), masterful musicianship is something you naturally expect. In that sense, ‘Psychic Secretions’ doesn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for “weird” riffs, StarGazer’s got your back. Denny Blake, aka the Serpent Inquisitor, crafts out unworldly riffs while also ensuring they fit the song structures. Alan Cadman, aka Khronomancer, is the new drummer in the band and he does not allow a single dull moment to slip through. I have to commend the bass work though. It’s gorgeous and it sounds effortless as it sits on top of the mix on each track. To be honest, without the sweeping basslines and the over the top flurry of bass notes, this album wouldn’t be the same. Damon Good, aka the Great Righteous Destroyer, does a great job here.

I can’t think of any flaws in this album. Perhaps for new listeners, it can come off as a bit dense. The songs, while unique in their own regard, have a lot going for them individually. Heck, there’s more in one StarGazer track than in entire albums put out by bands these days. This could be a hindrance to the casual listener though. It took at least a couple of listens for me to unpack everything in ‘Psychic Secretions’ and begin to appreciate it. It's worth the wait. StarGazer was never meant to sound accessible and I trust it has been the band’s vision to craft the weirdest sounds. StarGazer’s music is an experience which requires multiple immersions and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for good old school progressive death/black metal.

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

666 - 666

5/10

The tracks are relics from the past and the compilation album put out by Nuclear War Now! Productions will probably make any avid completist black metal fan happy

Before we proceed with the review of this compilation album put out by 666, let’s do a quick history lesson. 666 emerged from the crypts of Tromsø in the early 80s. The majority of the band was formed by members of a punk outfit called Norgez Bank. 666 were heavily influenced by the sounds of Venom and Motörhead. They were probably the earliest band in the Nordic region to be considered proto-black metal, which predates the first wave of black metal that hit the Nordic region (think Bathory, Mayhem). From what I’ve scoured on the interwebs, I learnt that the band’s live performances could well be compared to satanic rituals rife with inverted crosses, blood and other such items which would make any christian quiver in fear. The band was short-lived though from 1982 to 1983, while resurfacing in the late 90s and early 00s to release live studio recordings from the 80s. This brings us to 2020 where the band has released their self-titled compilation album of their live studio recordings. 

To set your expectations straight before you dive in, the live recording quality on the tracks is quite subpar. The instruments aren’t balanced at all, the drums sound like a bad drum machine, the bass is hardly audible and at times the vocals are mixed in too loud. But I reckon, that’s expected and excusable to a certain degree given that all these tracks were recorded live in the studio…in the early 80s…in Tromsø! Despite the poor recording, you can definitely feel the raw energy of the band. I’ll give them that. It invokes a feeling that you are present in the very room they recorded these tracks. The compilation opens with a galloping track titled 666, which sounds as if proto-heavy metal and punk had a baby. Tracks like Lucifer and Ledera seem to be heavily influenced by 70s hard rock. What makes these songs heavier and considered “metal” are the raspy vocals and how they are delivered. The guitar riffs are rather primitive, simplistic and raw. The songs are mid-paced, a few notches slower than 80s Motörhead, if that can give you an idea.   

On side B on the compilation, four of the tracks are repeated but are different recorded versions. Unfortunately, they’re still live studio recordings, so the improvement in quality isn’t that substantial. That said, my favorite track on this compilation is Love and Kiss. It’s my favorite song because it’s catchy, groovy and I can hear the goddamn bass! Heck, the track starts off with a bass lead. The arrangement and the song-writing is also quite commendable (for that time) with the band breaking away from standard the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus template. The second guitar’s licks/solos act as lovely embellishments to the first guitar’s chuggy down-picked riffs. The vocal lines are equally catchy even though I don’t understand a word of Norwegian.

To sum up, 666’s appeal lies in the fact that they are, for lack of a better word, kvlt. I truly wish I didn’t have to use this word but it’s true. The tracks are relics from the past and the compilation album put out by Nuclear War Now! Productions will probably make any avid completist black metal fan happy. Again, to reiterate, this isn’t an out and out proto-black metal album but if you dig 70s hard rock influenced by early Venom/ Motörhead sprinkled with some satanic lyrical themes, then you might appreciate 666. If you’re a stickler for properly recorded albums (even live albums), then 666’s compilation album isn’t for you.  

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Trépas – L’héritage du monde

8.5/10

L’héritage du monde is easily consumable, palatable, widely appealing and demands repeated listens

Trépas, which means death in French, are a black metal band from Québec, Canada. For the uninitiated, when you say black metal and Québec in the same sentence, the first thing that should pop in your head is the rich Québécois black metal movement. Bands like Forteresse, Gris, Csejthe and several others, have created this characteristic atmospheric, melancholic, lo-fi, black metal sound, usually sung in French. That said, Trépas, is a project formed by members of Outre-Tombe (old-school death metal) and Morgue (blackened death metal), both bands who have gained prominence in the last decade. So where does Trépas fit in amidst all these varying influences?

After several spins of L’héritage du monde, the band’s debut album, I’d say they have their roots firmly fixed in the second wave of black metal but at the same time they borrow the melancholic vibe from the Québécois black metal sound. The band also experiments with acoustic and cleaner guitar passages. For most parts, Trépas, does sound very straightforward in their approach to black metal. You can expect to hear blast beats overlaid with melancholic tremolo black metal guitar picking. The album is well mixed and produced, the layers are quite discernible and by saying this, it is by no means mired by the plastic-y modern sound. The cleaner production doesn’t drown out the atmosphere but it enhances it during the acoustic guitar passages.

I do like what I hear on Trépas’ debut. I reckon it will appeal to black metal enthusiasts irrespective of their favored sub-sub-genre. The album opens with Rivages Sombres, a track which doesn’t beat around the bush. There is no weak sappy intro here and it hits you right on the chin with the constant blast-beats and the scathing hateful vocals. The tempo changes that you will hear midway in the track are a sneak-peak of the variety you’ll see what Trépas are capable of displaying. The title track L’héritage du monde and Charognes are tracks that feature some clean guitar picking, creating spacey atmospheric passages. Charognes is easily my favorite track on the album by a long shot. The transitions between the blast-beats and the slower sections are so sublime. The cleaner passage reminds me of the seminal work of bands like Alcest or Woods of Ypres. Errance, the last track on the album, opens up with a minute long acoustic guitar section and then follows a template that Trépas have created with other songs. The second half of the track is heavy on power chord progressions which remind me of the mighty Taake (a band that emerged immediately after the second wave of black metal). What caught me by surprise was the guitar solo, delightfully positioned in the third quarter of the track. Errance is the dessert to the main course that is L’héritage du monde. What said food analogies couldn’t be applied to black metal?

A huge shoutout goes to the vocalist, Goliatt, who does a commendable job on the album. The range in vocal styles from the typical shrieks, which was largely present, to the deathly growls to the shouts, removed any kind of monotony that the album could’ve suffered from. My major gripe with the album is that it’s only 39 minutes long. But that said, L’héritage du monde is easily consumable, palatable, widely appealing and demands repeated listens. I foresee the band gaining new heights and for starters, if you’re in Montreal (or the neighbouring areas) later this month, I’d highly recommend visiting the iconic black metal festival Messe des Morts IX, where Trépas would be performing.

Originally posted on Tempelores.com

Flamekeeper - We Who Light The Fire

8/10

I’d imagine Quorthon raising his two thumbs if he were alive to listen to this!

The mastermind behind Flamekeeper is Marco S, of Demonomancy fame. If you’re new to Demonomancy, then here’s a quick refresher. They’re a black/death metal band from Italy whose peers include Archgoat, Blasphemy and several NWN! Prod similar sounding bands (Nuclear War Now!). They’ve been around for slightly over a decade. My best guess as to how Flamekeeper was born would be that Marco wanted to channel his other creative energies beyond the ferocious Demonomancy sound. Being a multi-instrumentalist in this regard, definitely helps. Flamekeeper is thoroughly a solo effort where Marco plays all instruments and handles vocal duties. Musically, the project is influenced by thrash, black metal and 90s era Bathory. 

‘We Who Light The Fire’ is an EP with six tracks which also includes a cover of a Necromantia song. The EP opens up with an intro track titled ‘The Birth of a Tribe’ which comprises of a strong buildup with the blowing of horns, very viking-folk like chants and all in all sounding very triumphant. About two minutes in, the second track starts playing and that wastes no further time in showcasing what Flamekeeper is truly about. In my opinion, it is in this second track, ‘Nomads of the World Beyond’, that the EP peaks at its highest. It is quite the perfect track which captures everything that an old school metal fan will salivate to. The vocals are gruff, almost marrying the delivery and tone of Cronos (Venom) and 90’s Quorthon (Bathory). Musically, I would compare it closely to blackened thrash, in the vein of Deströyer 666. What makes Flamekeeper stand out from the aforementioned comparisons, are the short acoustic sections within the song and the vocal harmonies, both of which occur multiple times throughout the EP. 

Even though I mentioned that the EP peaks with the second track, the rest of the tracks are worth listening to. In `Until This Earth Takes Me`, Marco challenges himself vocally to be a bit more diverse and the catchy anthemic chorus will draw you into liking the song. The title track `We Who Light the Fire` creates a strong viking/folk vibe with the guitar work. There also seems to be an undercurrent of melancholy during the chorus. ‘Dead Sea Waters`, the last originally composed track, was a bit disappointing though wherein I felt Marco was playing around with similar ideas from the previous tracks, yet not delivering quite strongly as the title track or ‘Nomads of the World Beyond’. But that said, I think the decision to cover Necromantia’s ‘Ancient Pride’ was a good one. While the original has more variety in instrumentation such as flutes and has this rustic sound, Flamekeeper gives the song much needed heaviness. The choice to cover a legendary Hellenic black metal band’s song will attract criticism but luckily the cover is a good homage to the original. Stylistically, the song fits in with the EP’s overall sound. 

Flamekeeper’s EP is being released on Invictus Productions, the same label behind Demonomancy. I’d say that the label has put in a lot of faith in Marco and suffice to say, Flamekeeper have definitely delivered the goods. The EP is well produced and it leaves us wanting for more. I personally wish this wasn’t an EP but a debut full length. If I were to be critical on where this EP falls short, then I’d say I wished there was more experimentation with the sound. On repeated listens, I find myself wanting to listen to only the two tracks (out of the four original songs) that I enjoy a lot. Marco does try to create this definitive sound for Flamekeeper but I feel that with future releases, it might get lost with time where ideas are either repeated or recycled. I hope to be proven wrong. 

The overall aesthetic behind Flamekeeper is very old school and traditional – from the song titles, the sound, the promotional photoshoots. It’s something I support wholeheartedly. In my opinion, this EP would probably not be understood/appreciated by metal fans who lean more towards the modern, cleaner variants of the genre. But at the risk of sounding punny, Marco is indeed keeping this flame alive with this side project of his, albeit flickering in the gentle breeze. I’d imagine Quorthon raising his two thumbs if he were alive to listen to this!

Originally posted on Tempelores.com