This summer, two pretty revered veteran, symphonic black metal acts will be releasing their ninth albums (both on June 28th no less!). Both released their debut albums in 1996 and both waited 6-7 years between their last albums and these new releases.

One is Norway’s Limbonic Art, who released their debut The Moon In Scorpio in 1996 to widespread acclaim that put them in similar circles as the likes of Emperor and Arcturus with their traditional Norwegian Symphonic black metal sound. Now a one-man project, They also released the vicious Opus Daemoniacal earlier this summer.

The other is Hungary’s Sear Bliss who released Phantoms in 1996 as well, but whose sound was a little different (especially at the time), with a unique sound that relied heavily on brass instruments (mostly the trombone) to deliver its symphonic element.

And while Limbonic Art has moved on to more riff-based, less symphonic hues since Morfeus left, Sear Bliss has stayed to course over their consistent discography arguably peaking with 2004’s Glory and Perdition.

Now, I don’t claim to be an avid Sear Bliss fan. I own some of their albums (I actually own more Limbonic Art albums), and I enjoy them occasionally and do enjoy the trombone elements that they deliver, but I can’t say I’m in love with them, even their more revered offerings like the aforementioned Glory and Perdition or Forsaken Symphony.

And that holds true for Heavenly Down. It is an enjoyable, pleasant album full of more restrained, progressive, elegant symphonic black metal, rather than full-on bombast, with a large presence of triumphant brass segments that elevate things when they appear.

And it’s those moments that leap off the disc, as the rest of the non-brass material is fairly pedestrian, sometimes melancholic, sometimes cosmic-ish black metal with some solid riffs here and there, mixing tremolo blasts and patient, introspective passages. For example “Watershed”, “Forgotten Deities” or “The Winding Path” (with its nice little 90s sci-fi movie synth break).

And while all of the tracks do feature those regal, triumphant trombone breaks, a few stand out from the others as they have a more fierce delivery as well, for example, the epic opening number “Infinite Grey”, “The Upper World”, the climax of the title track, “Chasm” and closer “Feathers in Ashes”; both album standouts.

A consistently good addition to a consistently good discography, and by the winner by a nose in the Limbonic Art vs Sear Bliss competition I created in my head.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments