Buried Realm‘s third album is coming!
Created in 2017 in the United States by Josh Dummer (all instruments/vocals, Circaic), the project leans towards a mix of Melodic and Technical Death. In 2022, he unveils Buried Realm, accompanied by Heikki Saari (Finntroll, ex-Amberian Dawn, ex-Norther) on drums, Ronnie Björnström (Blood Red Throne, Aeon, Paganizer, Centinex…) on mix/mastering and Pär Olofsson (Aborted, Abysmal Dawn, Exodus, Crisix, Pathology…) for the artwork.
The album starts with Entrance, a rather calm and intense intro track that lets the musician offer us some intense leads while the rhythmic arrives, just before unveiling Spectral Light, a composition on which the musician invites Dean Arnold (Primalfrost, ex-Vital Remains) to join him in this wave of rage. The sound remains very melodic while revealing quite complex patterns and vocal parts that alternate visceral screams with cavernous howls. The sound is very catchy, just like on Poison Palace and its throbbing harmonics, a track where the musician is helped by Christian Münzner (Obscura, Alkaloid, ex-Necrophagist) on bass. The basis remains rather massive and effective while proposing some more dissonant and unhealthy parts, then The Iron Flame returns on martial tonalities in company of Christopher Amott (Dark Tranquility, ex-Arch Enemy). The surge will offer us piercing and frantic leads completed by these screams of rage, while Witch Bones is a little more majestic with the keyboard of Bob Katsionis (Outloud, ex-Firewind, ex-Nightfall). The track keeps its aggressiveness and its raw violence, just like on Where the Armless Phantoms Glide where the musician is joined by Dan Swanö (Nightingale, ex-Bloodbath, ex-Edge of Sanity…) for an incredibly powerful vocal performance. The rest of the track remains in the same dynamic before Elder Gods offers us some fiery riffs with Christofer Malmström (Darkane). Without surprise, the track is very catchy and energetic by revealing surprising leads on a massive and jerky rhythmic before Quicksand Memory comes to offer us heady sounds. We find Christopher Amott again on this track with epic and transcendent flights, then the album ends with He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask), a cover of Alice Cooper on which the mastermind of the project will put his devastating touch, giving to the Hard Rock track some sharp and powerful sounds.
I liked the first releases of Buried Realm, which offered a Melodic and Technical Death of excellent quality. But with Buried Realm, the project has clearly taken a step forward, allowing it not to blush when facing the masters of the style.
95/100