Melechesh has returned to the studio.
For their new EP, Sentinels of Shamash, which ends a ten-year hiatus, the band led by Ashmedi (guitar/vocals/keyboards), Lord Curse (drums), and Moloch (guitar/backing vocals) has joined Reigning Phoenix Music.
Bass was recorded by Rob Caggiano (ex-Anthrax, ex-Volbeat).
We kick off with The Seventh Verdict, a fairly straightforward track that retains the furious touch of Black Metal while incorporating the band’s Eastern influences to create an intoxicating atmosphere, as well as heavy and explosive vocals, featuring Jessica Pimentel (Alekhine’s Gun, Brujeria). We can feel the omnipresent Black/Death roots mingling with Folk elements, then the sound becomes much more playful as it joins In Shadows, In Light, creating an interesting contrast that the band develops throughout the composition. It’s easy to get caught up in the game, taking advantage of the softer passages to catch our breath before rejoining the infectious fervor and scathing leads, but the track is long, and it will impose its forced march on us for more than eight minutes before giving way to Raptors of Anzu, the first track to be unveiled, which is initially a little calmer before igniting with Old School touches laden with sharp harmonics. Ashmedi‘s voice is also prominent on the track, sometimes taking on an unhealthy or mysterious tone, but constantly returning to those virulent screams before a much more soaring final.
Despite a notable absence from the Black Metal scene, Melechesh‘s return is quite shy. Although it totals twenty minutes, Sentinels of Shamash remains a little short and offers a much more modern mix than its predecessors. I’ll wait for the sequel to get really excited.
75/100