I thoroughly enjoyed the debut LP, Relinquishment, from Finland’s Ordinance, and it made my year-end for 2014. However, I never heard anything this else for the next 6 years- no splits, no EPs, no news, nothing. Then out of the blue, I get a promo from The Sinister Flame for a brand new album.

And the 6 year wait was worth it as it sees the Finnish duo ( who have served in the likes of Convocation, Desolation Shrine, Alghazanth and Flauros) have followed Relinquishment up with a worthy, if slightly less ambitions, more direct album that’s pretty much perfect modern black metal, with a aura of second wave classicism.

Whereas Relinquishment was 3 sprawling 20-minute songs, In Purge There Is No Remission is a little more standard being 7 songs, all hovering in the 5-7  minute range except for closer “Purging Kremanation” which clocks in at 11 minutes or so. But all of it is simply brilliantly rendered black metal. A bit nasty, a bit melodic, a bit atmospheric, but the all-important factor; the riffs are in abundance, delivering utterly perfect black metal moments at every stop that mix the elegance of say, Spectral Lore with the croaky vocals and riffs of Inquisition.

A crisp, but gritty production makes every riff breath with regal menace. From the opening swathe of “Obstructed Paths”, the blistering melodies of “Diabolopathia”- with its perfect black metal riff at 2:35, the more experimental “Credo Sceleratum”, “The Kingdom of Nothing” which has my personal favorite riffs on the album ( as well as some different vocal arrangements), the slower sway of “Gesticulation of Death” to the aforementioned varied,  11 minute closer, it is just brilliant, perfect black metal.

Another superb addition to 2020’s amazing black metal releases, and for sure one that’s near the top of the years impressive list.

 

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