Originally self released last year, but picked up by Prosthetic Records for a CD and gorgeous baby blue/purple swirl LP, Eternity’s End is the debut from this Ohio based melodic death metal trio featuring 2 members of Viking metal band Hammer Horde and 1 from Blood of the Prophets.

Don’t let the term melodic death metal scare you off. This is big, burly, muscular melodic death metal, more in the vein of Amon Amarth, Vehemence and to these ears a hint of Beyond the Sixth Seal‘s debut, Earth & Sphere.

Armed with much deeper, gruffer vocals than your usual melodic death metal rasp, as well as a solid, beefy guitar tone, Astralborne deliver 10 tracks (and a cover) of high energy, stomping melodic death metal with each track delivering a host of epic melodies, sweeping solos, crunchy riffs and a few atmospheric moments as a bonus (including intro “Eulogy in Black” and outro “Reflections”). I really can’t hang my hat on one song, as the whole 56 minute run time is full of quality moments that should please most metal heads.

Whether it’s epic opening crunch of “Attending the Funeral”, varied, fiercely melodic, lead filled “Transcendence of the Flesh”, more moody “Centuries (In Agony)”, blistering instrumental track “Inglorious 20XX”, piano and cello flocked “Architect of Suffering” or killer, epic 12 minute title track, its all really well done and with an air of confidence that’s rare these days in more core based or The Black Dahlia Murder cloning, US melodic death metal.

Some versions of this re-release have a cover of Judas Priest‘s “Hell Patrol”, given a beefy makeover by this promising trio who I hope continue to build on this very impressive debut.

[Visit the band's website]

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