Furnace - Eternally Enthroned

-

Furnace is a death metal band from Sweden, formed in 2019 by Rogga Johansson and Peter Svensson. Their latest album, “Eternally Enthroned,” is their sixth full-length album.  

“Eternally Enthroned,” is a very melodic album, having as much atmosphere on that side of the death metal fence as it does the aggressive side.  With that being said, this is a much more dark album compared to a lot of melodic death--this is not the Gothenburg sound.  Although they don’t sound all that similar, this is more along the lines of Insomnium, in that it’s more dour and downtrodden.  However, it’s far more aggressive and keeps a solid balance of extremity and melody.

Musically, this is pretty catchy.  Both Peter’s bass and Lars’ drums are a solid, steady powerhouse that are just dynamic enough to boost up the lighter parts but have no trouble hammering the heavier stuff in.  Sometimes it’s best to go simple and I love that Rogga and co recognize this.  The opening song, “Tyrant’s Reign,” has solid melodies against effective riffs that have more depth than they may seem separately when they are put together. 

Of course, their solemn approach to the genre can still be arresting.  “A Good Tree For Hanging,” opens with a dismal atmosphere but quickly picks up with a crushing rhythm.  Rogga’s guitars have the perfect tone, especially in the later half.  The clean tones hit the right spot against the riffs for, once again, a deceptively simple approach that works wonders.

But the album isn’t without a sense of urgency.  “Island of the Decaying Angel” opens with a bang.  The main riff is groovy and pairs well with the mid section that is a stellar melodic passage before sliding back into the main gut of the song.  

“To Fathom the Depths of Night,” is one of my favorite songs on the album.  It really captures the essence and mood of the album and it’s a mini epic with some of the album’s best harmonies and riffs.  The drums and bass are particularly strong as well, handling the transitions between the heavy and more cerebral parts with ease.

The album pulls out all the stops with the final song, which also happens to be the title track.  It’s a banger that begins with a straightforward, fast paced sound. The passage after the 2:16 mark is one of the best moments on the album too: tight, melodic rhythms.  

All in all, Furnace’s “Eternally Enthroned,” is a melodic death album that is very memorable with a practical yet sullen approach to the style.  For those craving a darker path for melodic death, this album will hit the spot. 

Rating: Great













Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hexecutioner - Tornit

-
Image
Hexecutioner is a doom/stoner/sludge metal band from Seattle that formed in 2020. Their latest release, “ Tornit ,” is their second full-length album; they have also released a demo. The band’s style is Doom with a capital DOOM. It embraces the elements of the genre without shame—and bludgeons my ear drums with them. The songs are mid-paced and built upon RIFFS, RIFFS, RIFFS, and more RIFFS. Oh and some RIFFS too.   The band’s approach is both classic and hypnotic—they take one riff, run with it, and hammer it over and over until I realized I had head banged so much I turned into a worm. But that’s just fine with me, because the next riff arrived and pulled me back together—and the process repeats. I don’t get high but if I did, I could see myself listening to this and then waking up three days later naked in the woods.   The tone and fuzz of these masterful notes, the bass included, laces their brand of doom with a filthy layer of sludge. It’s heavy as a real...
Read review

November Fire - Through A Mournful Song

-
November Fire is a doom/stoner metal band from New England that formed in 1991.  Over the years members would come and go as the band recorded demos and played gigs throughout the Boston area; the band stayed active until 2004 and, after some sporadic reunions, returned to the scene in 2022.   Flash forward to 2024 and the band drops their full-length debut “ Through A Mournful Song .” My time with this album was well spent.  I’ve no doubt this is one of the more unique metal albums I’ve heard this year.  I would say doom is their foundation but they are hard to categorize.  A lot is going on in these songs and across its forty-minute runtime, the band doesn’t shy away from exploring variety within its dynamics.    There are a lot of psychedelic tendencies across its breadth and it often times has an unhinged quality, almost supernatural in a way.  The vocals from bassist Terry go a long way adding to the band’s special atmosphere.  His...
Read review

Devil Moon Risen - Fissure of Men

-
Devil Moon Risen is an Arizona based band with a very unique sound.  They formed in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic and dropped an EP.   Their brand of high energy and catchy music combines punk, desert rock, and stoner doom into a truly dynamic sound that blazes from start to finish!  Oh and they also include sludge and old school heavy metal into the mix!   “ Fissure of Men ,” is their debut full-length album…and it is a massive achievement! The band is a three piece but they sound even bigger. Chihuahua Chad (I hope that is his real name) plays bass guitar, upright bass, and vocals.  His bass is a huge component to the album, if not the main one.  He is absolutely pulsating, steering the direction of the band even while he compliments the other two member’s own styles.  His vocals are extremely varied, everything from cleans and screams.   Guitarist Rocky Destructo (awesome) has just a big of a job though as the album’s onl...
Read review