Empty Throne unveil their debut album.
Three years after their debut EP, C.R. Petit (vocals, Angerot, Suffer, The Blinding Light), Mike Pardi (guitar, Ardent Nova, Draconis, ex-Possessed, ex-Xasthur), Jason Ellsworth (bass, Angerot, Suffer) and Gabe Seeber (drums, Abigail Williams, Divine Heresy, The Kennedy Veil, Vale of Pnath) collaborate with Downfall Records for the release of Unholy.
The band immediately attacks with Abbey of Thelema, a solid first composition that defines the foundations of their brutality, coupling fast riffs with powerful vociferations. A more mystical passage allows us to breathe before the onslaught begins again, followed by a very soothing final before Unholy strikes back, relentlessly pounding away with an effective, jerky rhythm that occasionally allows light harmonics to intervene. The track suffers no lulls, and the onslaught restarts with One By One, which continues to deliver piercing leads while the rhythm section conscientiously bludgeons us, whether during the furious verses or the unifying choruses. The sound abruptly cuts off then picks up again with the introductory growls of And All Shall Know His Name, which testifies to the savagery to come, and which doesn’t hold back in assaulting us from all sides with virulent Thrash influences, perfectly integrated with darkness and brutality. Enchanting keyboards begin That Day Has Come, but the band quickly confronts us with its violence at a high tempo, allowing the blast to crush us but also the guitars to offer tortured playing conducive to dazzling melodies. The final is a bit more mysterious, and leads into My Flesh the Temptation, the final composition, which strengthens the sound’s melodic approach while maintaining the abrupt and breathless riffing with which the band excels.
Unholy is only Empty Throne‘s first album, but their recipe is already well-honed, and continues to prove its worth! The tracks are all extremely powerful, while retaining the more melodic touch that allows them to crush us in darkness.
85/100
