2026 marks the return of In Aeternum.
Active since 1992 (including two years under the name Behemoth), the band led by David “Impious” Larsson (guitar/vocals), Daniel Nilsson-Sahlin (bass), and Perra Karlsson (drums, Perracide, Nominon, Eldfödd, Darkened, ex-Thorium…) announces its return with its fifth album, …of Death and Fire, in collaboration with Soulseller Records.
Danse Macabre unveils the first disturbing harmonics, finally setting them ablaze on Beneath The Darkened Tomb, a frantic track where riffs and roars become one to perfectly exploit the band’s Black and Death roots. It should be noted that the band knows how to slow down the pace to offer more melodic touches, but it quickly returns to its virulence with The Day of Wrath, which follows suit without delay and also imposes its high tempo fueled by blast beats and double pedals, as well as scathing leads. The pace slows down a little for the heavy Spirits of the Dead, which follows with a jerky rhythm that doesn’t hesitate to let the guitars give free rein to their madness before offering unifying tones, then we’re off again at full speed with Mortuary Cult, but the charge is slowed down by this unholy ritualistic passage. The rest of the track is still very solid, and quickly joins The Vile God of Slime, which starts slowly, establishing its oppressive atmosphere before striking, and also allows itself unexpected bursts that keep us on the edge of our seats throughout the song. Bow To None returns with a frenzied pace, a brutally satisfying track that doesn’t hesitate to put the musicians’ abilities to the test, offering devastating and relentless violence, further accentuating the fury in its second half by making it even more visceral. The band slows things down with De Profundis, a minimalist and disturbing interlude, then Goddess of Abominations takes over and imposes its heavy atmosphere, reinforced by piercing harmonics, while continuing to trample us before passing the baton to The Hourglass, which bursts in like a whirlwind and sweeps us away in its wake. The track slows down surprisingly to make way for its solo, creating an eye of the storm effect before exploding again, leading us to the long final composition, To Those Who Have Rode On, which begins very calmly with a clean sound, then retains this melancholic touch in the saturation, welcoming Erik Danielsson (Watain) to close the album on a high note.
Although its slumber lasted a long time, In Aeternum is now fully awake, and this album is proof of that. …Of Death and Fire mixes the violence of Black and Death Metal to bring the band’s rage and devotion to life with rare energy.
85/100
