This is the first full length and only release from this Grecian act. It is clearly their intention to create black metal that hearkens back to the early Norwegian scene and the sound emanating from it. Their riffs are ice cold yet somehow melancholic in a way, yet they have no shortage of blastbeats on the record. The riffs are also grandiose and epic, evoking sweeping vistas and frozen tundras. The singer croaks his vocals, almost, and sounds rather unique. This is remarkably melodic stuff, and dense. I would need the lyrics to truly dissect the arrangements. While it's not an instant classic that immediately blew me away, it is indeed good, and succeeds in its mission to evoke the feel of old black metal. The production is well-suited to this, with a rawness that helps give the album an ancient sound. It's definitely worth checking out, even if only digitally.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Vlad Spirit--Ashes of the Crimson Kingdom (LP) {Obscurant Visions}
This is the first full length and only release from this Grecian act. It is clearly their intention to create black metal that hearkens back to the early Norwegian scene and the sound emanating from it. Their riffs are ice cold yet somehow melancholic in a way, yet they have no shortage of blastbeats on the record. The riffs are also grandiose and epic, evoking sweeping vistas and frozen tundras. The singer croaks his vocals, almost, and sounds rather unique. This is remarkably melodic stuff, and dense. I would need the lyrics to truly dissect the arrangements. While it's not an instant classic that immediately blew me away, it is indeed good, and succeeds in its mission to evoke the feel of old black metal. The production is well-suited to this, with a rawness that helps give the album an ancient sound. It's definitely worth checking out, even if only digitally.
Labels:
Black Metal,
Obscurant Visions,
Vlad Spirit
