Review Summary: Blaze of Perdition deliver a solid black metal debut.
Discovering new music is a process of selectively crawling websites, blogs and friend recommendations. Even though I try to follow the advice of the metal gurus, I am sucker for albums with great cover art. This is no indication of the quality of music, but it has influenced my listening decisions more times than I would like to admit. After all, it is part of a package constructed with care by the band.
Towards the Blaze of Perdition was gifted to me based on the artwork alone. It clearly caught my eye too, so I decided to give it a spin and find out if it sounded as well as it looked.
Blaze of Perdition delivers a set of songs that any listener of black metal can enjoy. What first grabs the attention is how the album flows at a steady and mostly slow pace. Instead of worrying of constantly change and twist song structures, the band prefers to carefully draw a monochrome piece. This does not provide much diversity or innovation, but settles a consistent atmosphere that engulfs the listener from beginning to end. This offers a trip that may not be remembered completely at its conclusion, but leaves a good taste of mouth.
This experience is heightened by the fine production of the album. The guitars sound clear but powerful, and create an ominous feeling that does not die out. Other instruments merge together adding intensity to the mix, without taking away or interfering with each other. The vocals are violent, creating a harrowing ambiance that makes this foray much more engaging and gruesome.
A few songs show small glimpses of experimentation and variation that showcase the creativity potential that the band possesses.
Son of Dawn starts with a more rhythmic passage which is abruptly ended by a segment of narration. After a section of aggressive drumming and screaming, the song shifts into what is possibly one of the catchiest and most memorable moments of the album.
The Great Work, the longest song of the record, halts itself midway with a chilling atmospheric passage. With these ideas being few and far between, I can't help but feel that the band restrained itself, looking for a safer approach for the record.
Towards the Blaze of Perdition effectively captures the concepts presented in the artwork into its sound. As the person in the center of the cover art, the listener is framed in a picturesque and delicately constructed set piece. Though captivating, it remains mostly static and monochrome.
Blaze of Perdition have already showcased that they have the correct tools to give more life and texture to their following undertakings. I surely enjoyed this album, and I am looking forward to see what the band's next albums sounds like.
