This band features Zachery Ezrin from Imperial Triumphant, but he takes a back seat when it comes to the focus of this band, The focal point is the coloratura voice of Andromeda Anarchia. This might seem like a new band, but their first album in 2020 went under the radar. Four years later there is an even bigger push to have women at the forefront of metal, there is more hype around this release. Century Media might be more willing to put money behind this agenda. Not that I have a problem with women in metal, I would rather watch a hot girl than a sweaty guy in corpse paint. But it's more the being aware of what strings are being pulled in the music biz these days, and knowing that metal is not exempt from it, It's an easy sell, their name means torture chamber in German, and they are ready to push Anarchia's role as a dominatrix.
Fortunately, the music works well enough to substantiate the momentum this band now finds behind them. The operatic-tinged black metal formula does not resonate as strongly on the second song as when the album opened. It did not bore me either, but just did not hit the same. They lean into the melodramatics of opera more on "Die Unterwerfung". Sure her vocals are powerful, and given the connection to Imperial Triumphant, they do have some black metal clout. Perhaps leaning into the darker side of their BDSM side might prove more convincing. Her harsher snarls are effective, but something is missing in the equation that I can not put my finger on yet. But by the time I finish this review, I will have an answer for you. Perhaps the right notes are being played, but darkness's intentions are not there. Imperial Triumphant's strength is their experimental prog side that is book-ended by black metal that is more sonic than scary.
Her soaring vocals have a great sound, but when it comes to creating melodies that draw me back to the song, things are somewhat stiff in the rigid manner of classical music which is more about playing by the rules than what black metal is about. It works better when it breaks down into a more half-time traditional metal riff. "Algolagnia" starts out with a deliberate bass line and builds the song from there. She also uses a more witchy vocal to cackle about the song rather than her soprano, which is does employ later in the song. After this song, they blast back into your more run-of-the-mill black metal. Which the drummer has said is an influence. Her operatic vocals are more dominant here and accented by male vocals which are likely Ezrin's barks.
It's at this point in the album I begin to realize one of the things that does not feel as effective vocally. Her vocals are not as melodic as they could be due to the fact they sound more like they are recitative than something from an opera. I do however like the cover of "Venus in Furs". It is true to their theme and works vocally as it is a more varied performance. I will give this album an 8.5, if you are into symphonic black metal then this album is not as flowery as some, and holds more sonic weight, I might have personally been expecting more due to the hype but, for that it is the album does what they set out to do, thus why it scores so high. It is being released April 19th.
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