Cloak : "Black Flame Eternal"

 If the opening track is a fair indication,  the Atlanta band might have  finally hit their creative stride with album number three. This does not mean that I am any closer to branding them a goth metal band. The elements that might bring that to one mind are perhaps more fleshed in places. The songwriting stomps with more debilitation. The influence of Dissection is still here and heard on "With Fury and Allegiance".  While fellow Atlantans Withered have flirted with black metal influence in the past , these guys are the first to really commit to it. The layers of guitar benefit from the evolution of production that hits the sweet spot on this album. Everything is still very organic, but with clarity. 

I listened to "Shadowlands" three times to fully absorb it. Perhaps my favorite song on the album, It  captures a perfect blend  of all the colors of sound they have in play. Those colors are velveteen reds rather than the blood red of death metal, as it is layered with melodies, and varied guitar textures. The vocals stay at the same rasp, but flow with the marginally romantic guitars. This song contrasts the elements of this album that I am not so crazy about, which are no different than things I have brought up in the past, which is the Watain likeness. The riff to "Invictus" offers a little more groove, which distracts from this fact. The darker moments of the song also helps to steer them away from this. I could hear a little less pumped up version of Behemoth at times in the way the shadows frame things. Additional listens allow this to grow on me. The more anthemic build is not only a confident step forward in sound, but wins me over on "Invictus' , even after I thought lyrically it felt like an AI wrote a Watain song. 

"Seven Thunders" high lights the moments I am not as thrilled by which seems to coincide with when they decide to step on the gas. While the drumming is impressive, it just loses the sense of self established on "Shadowlands", but I hear the John Carpenter influence on the guitar melodies. Are they really following the trail left by ravens? Or are they just saying that ? "Eye of the Abyss" once again brings up ravens. There are some softly sun vocals , that remind me more of Agalloch. The chugged riff is pretty hard to argue with . The pace picks up with "the Holy Dark" . The drums at the beginning reminded me more of King Diamond, but this goes in a more standard Swedish black metal direction. 

I think it's fair to call "Heavenless" passionate vocalization, rather than singing , It changes the mood from the snarl that has been the primary utterance the bulk of the album. This snarl is offered up with many nuances this time around. The moodiness that seethed under the raging buzz of guitars culminates into the last song that marches with less abandon. I think the production value , and execution of the overall sound helps give this album an edge over their previous work. The more melodic nature of what they do here,  highlights this fact, I will give this one a 9 and see how it grows on me.Being released on Season of Mist. 

,