One of my favorite black metal projects is back. Blake Judd personifies inner darkness, which can create our darkness, legitimizing his work's melancholy. This new album picks up where they left off. The scathing rasp of his vocals sits back in the mix. The synths are playing a larger role in the opening track which does charge ahead with a great deal of drive thanks to drummer Francesco Miato. The straightforward metallic charge of "Predator Phoenix" is what many listeners are going to press play for. It's raging black metal without being dependent on blast beats. A second listen reveals nuanced layers of guitar under the surface. This time around it's more apparent Judd is lashing out at the bigger picture of the failing American society.
"Slow Decay" seems to be a reflection of his addiction and the bottom it caused him to hit. Like the other songs so far, there is a great breadth of melodic guitar work, to create the sonic throb. "Conquistador" rages with a very focused and blackened rage which is its focal point. It almost takes on an Immortal-like feel. It's the first song where blast beats play a significant role. "Blind Spot " works off the momentum established in the previous song. The vocals are more deliberate and the lyrical perspective of burning bridges in active addiction hits harder than pseudo Satanic nonsense.
"The Arduous March" pulses with emotional heaviness, which I will take over blast beats any day of the week. It is very purposeful and when the blast beats arrive, they already have something to provide contrast to. There is a wrathful charge to the title track that closes the album. There is enough hooking in the chugged accents to balance the verse out. I will give this a 9.5, it's fine to welcome back to a band that is badly needed as the world becomes more miserable.
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