The debut Belial’s Throne album has been announced.
After releasing their debut EP in 2020, the Irish band comprising Golgotha (vocals), King of Shadows (guitar), Ragaart (basse/guitar/artworks) and B.B. (drums, Coscradh, Lud) signs with Spread Evil Productions for the release of Forgotten Land of the Lost Souls.
The album opens with the lengthy Forgotten Land Of The Lost Souls, which slowly weaves its dissonant, ethereal melodies before letting the ghostly howls emerge to give the sound a haunting dynamic. Blast accompanies the most virulent passages, paying homage to the band’s aggressive Old School roots, before letting Void hypnotize us with heady leads before letting the rhythmic basis develop the rawest elements. The band keeps its cold unhealthy approach on Ascension Ritual, while letting melodies fly freely between the controlled eruptions of rage, linked by slightly more soaring parts we also find on Pit Of Dead Realm, a majestic, ethereal composition which doesn’t forget its visceral influences. The sound darkens and becomes edgier with Halls Of Silent Kingdom, which relies on its hoarser, piercing tones to create a sense of oppression while remaining guided by haunting harmonics, then Rejoin At Dusk returns to the epic, frantic patterns while using its dissonance to create a contrast with the wild screams. The end of the album comes with Last Time We Meet, which exploits both driving melodies and aggressive elements to create a rhythmic, visceral sound that leads us to Outro, a final track which is relatively unsettling but whose mood fits the band.
Although very young, Belial’s Throne remains rooted in Old School Melodic Black Metal, appealing to nostalgic fans. Forgotten Land of the Lost Souls is an easy listen for cold winter nights.
80/100