Let’s discover Tythorin with Ninth Realm.
Four years after their previous album, Liam McMahon (guitar), Ben Hageage (vocals), Charles House (guitar), Amelia Morris (bass), and Joey Burke (drums) have signed with Transcending Obscurity Records to release its follow-up, Damnation’s Veil.
We enter the band’s fantasy universe with Valigeth, the opening track that plunges us into a mysterious atmosphere before kicking off with Damnation’s Veil, the title track where their death/thrash roots are prominently featured, letting pure aggression speak for itself, whether in the ferocious instrumentation or the explosive vocals. We find that jagged edge perfect for headbanging just as on Cohorts of the Abyss, which takes over and will have the mosh pits thrashing in every direction while the band unleashes its riffs, this time a bit more pronounced and at times even heavier, adding diversity to its fury. Next up is Imbued in Hellfire, which treats us to a more measured intro before charging ahead in turn, picking up the same energy as before with a nice mid-song acceleration and a finale that gives the leads plenty of room to shine. Rituals in Thar’amath then takes the torch and unleashes its abrasive edge at a brisk pace, all while maintaining that vindictive Thrash edge that flares up regularly. We take advantage of the respite offered by Orphaned Throne, an ethereal interlude that remains rooted in the almost cinematic atmosphere created by the musicians, then we launch into Wyrd of Strideborne at breakneck speed, it literally explodes in our faces and screams once more, with sharp harmonics taking center stage. We find a rather different approach to the leads on Beyond the Void, much more dissonant and intoxicating before the next eruption, and although the break featuring sampled vocals doesn’t return, the track, like its predecessors, remains relatively focused on violence, just like Vengeance Unto Rot, which lives up to its name and offers sinister touches to complement the furious, rapidly addictive sections. Another burst of aggression comes with All Hail Treachery, a track that’s, all things considered, a bit of a cliché in the Death/Thrash genre but extremely effective, whether on the album or for rallying a crowd, in my opinion, featuring that central mosh part right up to the final. Then the band brings in Twilight’s Blade as the closer, drawing on its heavy metal roots to round out the existing influences and bring the album to a fitting close.
If you want to fight alongside Ninth Realm, Damnation’s Veil will be the perfect soundtrack for some valiant headbanging! While their songs may not reinvent the genre, they’ll certainly provide you with some excellent listening moments!
75/100