We’re celebrating the return of Caelestia.
Formed in Greece, the band went through a period of uncertainty before making a comeback in 2024 with an EP. Now signed to Eclipse Records, Lordwinter (vocals, ex-Nordor), Vassilis Thomas (guitar), Stelios “SD” Tragos (bass), and Marc Reign (drums, ex-Destruction, ex-Morgoth) announce the release of their third album, Revelations In Black.
The album opens with the short, melodious introduction titled La Morte Amoureuse, which slowly draws us into an intoxicating melancholy before significantly picking up the pace for Buried, an aggressive and relatively intricate composition that draws on both Technical Death and a modern impressive sound. The arrival of the roars easily darkens the atmosphere while maintaining that massive groove right through to the end, finally veering into prog with Jutland, which follows suit and retains the complexity while incorporating an intoxicating touch of dissonance. The track is ultimately quite majestic, unlike Wolves, which is much more jagged and aggressive but perfectly suited for headbanging, as the musicians deliver a very unifying sound; and although the track goes by a bit too quickly for my taste, it’s one of the most enjoyable. We take a break with The Slopes of Tenmokuzan, which opens with an acoustic intro before launching into a powerful Melodic Death basis, one that’s far more aggressive than usual, which the band doesn’t hesitate to build upon throughout the entire track, emphasizing the shifts in tempo. Next up is Fall of the Demon King, a fairly straightforward track featuring faster and more furious patterns than usual, while revealing some rather dark Black/Death Metal touches as well as a greater sense of energy compared to the other tracks in contrast to Five Unicorns and A Pearl an epic interlude that gives us a moment to catch our breath amid the samples. Once the calm has passed, the band strikes with full force on title track Revelations In Black, returning to its frenzied pace and sinister influences to amplify its raw power before shifting back to tempo changes, also incorporating an unsettling solo before the assault ends. Next up is the lively Reflection of the Beast, another fairly straightforward track that uses controlled accelerations to captivate, masterfully managing its devastating rhythm before giving way to Dead Eternal, the album’s final track, which brings together everything the band has most brutal to offer with a relatively simple chorus, one that works exceptionally well, too.
It’s with a strange sense of contradiction that I can say Revelations in Black is both accessible and challenging, skillfully blending a modern sound with complex Black/Death Metal elements. Caelestia has made a strong comeback.
85/100
