Sometimes nomen est omen. But for Frozen Dawn‘s new record, it’s actually two things. The name and the album art. And indeed, the band name already hints at abject, ice-cold, and razor-sharp harshness. But look at the cover and feel the cold howling winds of Kadath seep into your bones. This actually made me light a fire. True story, by the way.
And it looks like we’re going to have a great run with Melodic Black Metal of different couleurs this year. Deviser and …And Oceans just issued pretty good records. And Sarcoptes should drop their newest piece later this spring.1
It is Frozen Dawn‘s rough-hewn and barebone style of The Decline of the Enlightened Gods that really caught our attention. This, and the contrast to the pretty flamboyant delivery of the aforementioned …And Oceans piece. As in, skeletal rapid-fire Melodic Black Metal meets darkly lush soundscapes. Even if the RMR crew was ready to discard the record at first. But then it started to grow on us and we’re glad it did.
The band pushes a speedy, highly energetic brand of tastily roasted melodics with enough atmospherics to often rival BM folks like Vorga. And what feels like an impenetrable wall of sound at first, will soon disintegrate into an abundance of meaty riffs, often superb solos, and relentless blast beats that somewhat sit front center in the mix. But nothing is ever powerful enough to dislodge the relentless and brutal rasps that rain down on you like so many icy meteorites. In other words, the production is – despite its fiery intensity – top-notch. The band didn’t lose any essential element in the mix.
Already the Mystic Fires of Dark Allegiance sets the tone. Razor-sharp extremes that roar forth on maddened tremolos suddenly change tempo and waltz majestically forward on a background of lightning and thunder. Frozen Kings probably rips up the road most with its relentless groove, grating melodies, and one of the best solos on this record. A track that bores down on you like a wall of thunder that may also be the most accessible song of them all. But it is The Decline of the Enlightened Gods – the title track – that takes the cake. Blackened doom-filled groove on a mid-tempo wave of savage blast beats and ferocious and meaty riffing. Until it doesn’t, because by the mark 5:20 things will speed up seriously. This song with its pitch-black underground mystique may very well talk to Black Metal adepts most.
If there’s anything that got stuck sideways in our eardrums, then it is The Fall of Aeons. And I get it, it’s a Spanish band and classical guitar is big down there. Only, after eight tracks of fierce aggression, we yearn for more brutality. And classical interludes, well done as they may be, just won’t do. They just sit awkwardly athwart the whole chebang.
Finally, it’s also true that The Decline of the Enlightened Gods ain’t the most accessible of records. You’ll need a number of sessions to really dissect all of those elements into coherent bits. And that’s the moment the beauty of the record really becomes apparent. Thus, if you’re short on time, just head over to the aforementioned Frozen Kings. That’s an extremely powerful track that will give you a great idea of that whole album.
Frozen Crown sent us an avalanche of well-honed Melodic Black Metal that descends on you like a hairy beast about to devour everything in its path. Thus, the record will please the underground metal crowd with its spiked, harsh, and speedy brand of metal. But it won’t necessarily talk to the adepts of the more flamboyant section of the blackened art – or anything above that ground-level heap of delicious grime. Let alone to newbies to the metal art.
Yet again, the record’s inherent tastily blackened ferocious bombast and technical prowess on fiery display at every corner of the record made us return for seconds. This is a piece of high-octane almost unhinged intensity that impresses through atmosphere, powerful melodics, as well as a brutal and coldly efficient delivery.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Transcending Obscurity | Web: Facebook (band)
Release Date: 10 February 2023
- If that doesn’t stop, a special BM top ten will be in order. -Ed.-↩