(c) Jolanda Siemons
With the thunderous reverberation of brutal, dark extremes dived The last ones five years ago from what felt like nowhere. Having now grown into a quintet, the band with current and former members of Morbid Angel, Mayhem and Cryptopsy scored a real hit with “Something Wicked Marches In”. For the sequel, they met at David Vincent’s ranch in Texas to work everything out together. The international band clearly liked this approach and ended up with it „EPIC“ now the next irresistible steam hammer.
After a short intro, the title song surprises with its anthemic leisureliness. Vincent conjures up death and the devil as an oppressive heaviness settles over the land and dismantles everything. The small vocal interludes, combined with mid-tempo lead, send cold shivers down your spine before a feverish solo dismantles everything. “Invictus,” another epic, shows that things can be a bit more dynamic. Sure, there’s a lumbering malice shimmering through here too, but it’s the little intermediate sprints that really put you in a good mood. A constant rollercoaster of horrendous emotions builds to a cathartic finale.
Anyone who appreciates the brutal Vltimas will find what they are looking for in “Scorcher”. The long intro is deceptive, because behind it lurks a death metal flash grenade, on which Cryptopsy drummer Flo Mounier puts his technically adept stamp. The wonderfully manic “Exercitus Irae” takes a similar approach, even surprising with a subtle Thrash touch in the main part, while the leitmotif releases Blackened synergies. In “Miserere,” Vincent makes drastic gestures while the events around him collapse. And then there is “Spoils Of War”, the final epic, which constantly increases for six minutes and almost suffocates due to its own heaviness.
In these almost 38 minutes, Vltimas operate at full speed for long stretches, although that no longer means ‘just’ full speed. “EPIC” more than earns its name – playing time or not – and audibly benefits from the shared songwriting and recording approach. Of course, the band continues to unleash high-speed attacks and all-round blows, but the dark, almost proggy approach of its predecessor shouldn’t be neglected either. What’s more, the extreme metal all-stars like to rely on lead and concrete, on blackened heaviness and a dazzling David Vincent, who hasn’t sounded so rested and witty for a long time. For Vltimas, the supposedly heavy second album becomes a tasteful display of welcome discomfort.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: March 15, 2024
Available via: Season of Mist (Soulfood Music)
Website: vltimas.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VLTIMAS
Slider-Pic (c) by Joland Siemons
Category: Magazin, Reviews