Romania. A country rich in blood-drenched counts and dark tales, wafting over from the equally somber and mysterious mountain ranges that dominate the place. Full of ominous valleys and frightening figures, such as Vlad the Impaler, commonly called Dracula. The Transylvanian region is particularly noteworthy. But you knew all that already, didn’t you? This should actually generate a ton of abjectly blackened metal. But for some reason, this crew found an ocean of tears. Yet another reflection on the dead and dying. Seems to be the year for that.
If ever there was a funeral version of Rise to the Sky‘s roaring excesses and the darkly glowing reaches of Convocation‘s delicate airs, In Ruins‘ We Are All To Perish would be the go-to piece. The RMR crew expected some Horror Metal scene dripping with gore and empty bodies strewn about the soundscape. Instead, we found a woeful lament that majestically leads us through the depths of sorrowland. This murky interspace between the end of life and Death Central. And indeed, the record is based entirely on the poems of one Sergei Yesenin, a famous Russian poet of the last century, dead by suicide back in 1925 at 30 years of age. Allegedly, the album cover depicts his corpse in a hotel in St. Petersburg.
That’s quite a stage entry, isn’t it? We Are All To Perish truly encompasses that morose notion of the dead and dying all over again. Of those in despair with no way out of their wretched desolation. All of this expresses itself in deliciously melodic riffs marching forth in a stately manner, cathedral and plodding motifs, and a knack for atmosphere that moves hand-in-hand with the menacing growls that will cease you right from the get-go. The first three tracks all follow themselvess in the same sad vein. And while they all talk of a different poem, you should not stop to reflect but ride through those first 31 minutes in one sitting. And when you do that, the underlying powerful anguish and despair will finally take you in. Let the weeping melodies and dark moods take you into their merciless embrace.
But the darkly glowing cherry on this funeral cake is Farewell. A requiem with artfully placed funeral chants, those terrible Bells ov Doom, and the mourning electric guitar to back it up. As the lore goes, this track is based on a poem written in Yesenin’s own blood just before his suicide. All of those elements build a heavy crestfallen atmosphere and unshakeable momentum that almost make you physically taste that mountainous melancholy, misery, and grief.
That In Ruins present us with a bunch of tracks, none of which is shorter than 10 minutes, is further proof of this proverbial pudding. Superior songwriting that oozes the heavy, mysterious aura such records should have. There is also a distinct dexterity to the production that we seldom heard over these years. An arrangement that leaves nothing to chance. Yet, We Are All To Perish is also prone to circling the wagons a few times too many, though. But this is inherent to Doom Death Metal pieces. And In Ruins injects enough variation and juicy mana into the fray to keep things agonizingly desolate.
Now, the fact that this record is actually a debut full-length album led to an uproar over at the review desk. This kind of quality is usually reserved for long-standing acts. Those with the chops and experience to pull such a stunt without drowning themselves. As it happens, this gig here emerged from the underground in 2021, first manned by a trio, which then morphed into yet another duo, Urmuz and St. Oliver. And they got pretty much everything right straight away.
So, in essence, We All Are To Perish turned into one of those rare surprises for 2026. To turn Yesenin’s poems into music is nothing new. But to tempt fate by creating a Funeral Doom and Doom Death Metal record out of this is somewhat reckless. Albeit, a recklessness that bore some real rotten fruit placed on a dark, tear-soaked platter.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Meuse Music | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 13 March 2026