Hecate Enthroned - The Corpse of a Titan, a Lament Long Buried

Hecate Enthroned is a black metal band from the United Kingdom, who formed in 1995.  Their latest release, “The Corpse of a Titan, a Lament Long Buried,” is their seventh full-length album; they have also released a demo, two EPs, and four splits.

This is their first album in seven years, so I expected them to make quite the statement…. but goddamn, they blew my already high expectations.  From the cover art all the way down to the last second of music in the final song, this product absolutely drips and bleeds quality.   This was obviously a labor of love with a renewed energy and focus—and the payoff is immense.

I used to be a production whore back in the day…. I wanted (needed) every album to sound good.   But as the years went on, I realized there isn’t a blanket production job that fits every band/album.  Some bands, or bands within a certain genre, need a happy, shiny production and mixing job.  Other bands need something quite a bit rougher.  Hecate Enthroned, at least to me, are a band that thrives in a happy medium.   “The Corpse of a Titan..” isn’t so rough that it isn't enjoyable.  The symphonic elements aren’t buried in the mix but neither do they overpower the other instruments.  However, this album also doesn’t sound so clear and professional that it takes away the bite and venom of their core black metal sound.  

Overall, I’d say this is a melodic black metal album, but it has plenty of other elements too.   The symphonic elements are sweeping arrangements that fit into the songs just as importantly as the rest of the instruments.  There isn’t anything going on in these songs that doesn’t need to be here—absolutely no fluff. 

“Adar Rhiannon,” is a short but fitting little intro that leads up to the first proper track, "Spirits Stir Within Our Ancestors Tombs.”  This song is epic from the first note–every instrument hits at once so this is a fantastic song to introduce new fans to or to really kickstart the album.  The groove is mighty and I found the song to be at its most violate when the band leans into this extremity.  Their ability to blend melodic/symphonic arrangements with speed is impressive, as always but this is as potent as they have ever been. 

If anyone wants an example of how darkly beautiful black metal can be then they need to look no further than “Pwca.”  This is a tight instrumental (well, sort of…it does have a couple moments of barely audible whispering that unfurls like the growth of time–not in tempo, mind you, but in the constant moment of time that moves in waves, unstoppable and definitive.  

The somber “A Gallery of Rotting Portraits,” has an incredible atmosphere within.  Its subtleties and patience are very rewarding in its languished, quiet moments but the exact opposite when it cuts loose like an animal that was caged for far too long.    The drums and symphonics move as one as the guitars and vocals add a layer on top of that……this is the type of song that seems endless with its depth and staggering in its scope.   The same could be said for the album as a whole.

The final song, “Into a Vale of Endless Sorrow,” brings the album to a close with a bang.  The urgency is on high alert—this is a song that gets the heart pumping and keeps the nerves on edge.  The relentless fury peels back in the second half, opening up to let the keys shine their rays through as they are themselves divided apart by simple but hugely effective rhythm prowess. 

Hecate Enthroned’s “The Corpse of a Titan a Lament Long Buried,” is an album that you can go as deep as you want with.  This one can be enjoyed on a piecemeal basis—every song is worth exploring but taking it in from beginning to end is quite the experience. 

Rating:  Excellent