The Ice Age has come to an end at Imperial Crystalline Entombment.
Bleak (guitar, Aurora Borealis) and IceSickKill (vocals, J.J. Hrubovcak, House by the Cemetery, Divine Rapture, Azure Emote, ex-Monstrosity) are set to release their third album, Abominable Astral Summoning, in 2025 via Debemur Morti Productions.
The album begins with A Call to Worship, a mysterious introduction where voices welcome us in the middle of a blizzard, followed by some percussion that leads to Insufferable Shivers, the first wave of coldness and darkness on which the Old School roots are perfectly exploited. The biting melodies rain down on us without mercy as the vocalist lets loose, just as on Phantoms of Ice, which multiplies the sharp harmonics and anchors itself ever more firmly in raw violence while fueling its suffocating atmosphere. The song’s wild roots make it extremely catchy, especially during the unexpected eruptions, while Frigid Spirits Arcane focuses on jerky patterns to impose its lively and catchy beats and unhealthy guitars. We move on without transition to White Behemoths of Woe, a fairly similar track that retains the martial tones while leaving room for heart-wrenching leads that fit perfectly with this incessant flow before starting again with Avalanche Apocalypse, which combines an agonizing slowness with more dissonant passages. The persistent touch of melancholy in the track creates a real contrast with the aggressive passages, even reinforcing them at times by giving them dark touches before accelerating into Esoteric Offerings, which revives the icy touches. Fans will recognize the Norwegian approach on this track, which is quite similar to The Cold Cosmic Veil, offering bursts of brutality between two calmer moments, but the track ultimately moves towards a more virulent final. Cryogenic Death follows with its sharp riffs, but also with the vocalist’s piercing screams, which make the composition more sinister as it continues to lead the assault until From the Arctic Void, where we are granted a few quick seconds of respite. The track speeds up again, but still allows for moments of hesitation, reinforcing the fury of the energetic passages, but the album is already coming to an end with Clandestine Cavern Sacrifice, which is initially quite majestic, then as ferocious as ever, closing the album with the same visceral energy with which it began.
Working in Black Metal’s most Old School arcane traditions, Imperial Crystalline Entombment has once again created a true gem. Abominable Astral Summoning is the perfect summer gift for those who appreciate raw approaches.
95/100
