Album Type:Album
Date Released:
April 15th
2014
Label:
Agonia Records
Sovereigns -
track listing
1. Anteloquium
2. Sine Qua Non
3. Of Feathers and
Flames
4. Lamp of Invisible
Lights
5. Of Shrines and
Sovereigns
6. The Edge of
Agony
7. Divine
Coagulation
8. Baal al-Maut
9. Nerxiarxin
Mahathallah
The
Band Members
Nornagest:
Lead Vocals & lead Guitars
Phorgath:
bass
Neraath:
lead Guitars
Menthor:
Drums
ZarZax:
Guitar
Review:
Black
metal. A genre of metal that is legendary for so many reasons:
church burnings, Satan worship, ritual murder, weird facepaint… all
of which adds to the mythos of the genre, but tells you little to
nothing about the most important aspect of all: the music. If you
are new to black metal’s icy tones, then let me say that Belgian
black metallers Enthroned’s new album ‘Sovereigns’ is a great
way to dip into the brackish waters of a much-maligned metal
subgenre. For those who have the black metal swimming certificates
to proves their veteran status, Enthroned’s latest offering is a
blood-freezing triumph of great dark music that not only shows off
the qualities of this occult-driven genre, but also is enjoyable for
the casual metal listener.
The
music itself sounds like an Aleister Crowley counter-culture party:
the grind of the guitars, the relentless pounding of the drums, the
howl of Nornagest all adding to this outsider image of black metal.
It’s good. Very good. Stripped of its label as black metal it is
still a spooky, doom- and death-laden affair; couple the music with
the mythos, and it transmogrifies into a pale figure of darkly
twisted proportions, his arm outstretched towards you, his hand open,
awaiting yours to reach out and touch it. With such tempting songs
as the rolling and tolling ‘Baal al Maut’ and the out-and-out
shredder that is ‘Of Shrines and Sovereigns’, you’d be a fool
not to take the hand and be transported into Enthroned’s devilish
Wonderland.
A
prime pick of occult majesty from this album has to be, in my
opinion, ‘Nerxiarxin Mahathallah’. Not only is the song title
imposing as Hell, it’s a shrieking, titanic tank, hauling
doom-dynamite, with a pentagram painted on the chassis and a crew of
the most tortured souls known to man. Seriously, how drummer Menthor
manages to keep up this breakneck pace without losing a foot to
extreme repetitive strain injury I’ll never know. But he does, and
this track is made all the more mighty because of it. It’s a
triumph, not only as a black metal song, but as a balls-to-the-wall
metal song. And when a song can transcend genres, you know it’s a
powerful entity.
Enthroned
are staples of the black metal genre, and have been for many years.
‘Sovereigns’ is a release that will please their loyal fanbase,
while at the same time entice new listeners to check out what the
fuss is all about. The dark side of metal never sounded so good,
ladies and gentlemen: come to the Court of Black Metal and get
Enthroned!
Written
by Chris Markwell
Sovereigns
is now available to buy from all good stockists from Agonia Records.
Thanks to Agonia Records for sending us a promo to review.
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