There is black metal that is born to live in the shadows and the mythological recesses of the human imagination, as well as black metal that only reaches its maturity after years of regurgitation, mastication (you read that right) and rumination. British black metal legends, and amongst the most established in the genre, Hecate Enthroned, hold both these mantras aloft like bloody great flags.
‘The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried’ is the band’s first offering in seven years – the last one being the really rather enjoyable ‘Embrace of the Godless Aeon’ from 2019. However, is this worth the wait? Spoiler alert – absolutely…! The balance of this record, combined with the tumultuous double kick from drummer Matt Holmes, the precise extreme abrasiveness of vocalist Joe Stamps, and the ever-present powerhouse that is the Nigel Denman/Dylan Hughes/Andy Milnes colossus…has all narrowed into a confluence that is truly absorbing and excellently thought through.
From the rumbling inner earth echoes of ‘Spirits Stir Within our Ancestors Tombs’ (and yes, I will point out that some plonker forgot the apostrophe!) to the Necronautical-esque panoramics of my favourite track ‘Steed of the Still Water’, Hecate Enthroned take you on a mystical, at times ethereal, but crucially, heavy, voyage through an old land – one that is all in sepia if you will.
There are, like any journey, times of solitude, times of quiet, times of surprise and times of hefty toil. The musical serpents writhe and twist to paint the pictures in your mind. Whilst maintaining the synths and the orchestrations of the more symphonic ends of the genre for which they have become known, this record does feel, in many ways, to be a deeper and denser affair. There is emotional weight here that cuts through on instrumental pieces such as ‘Pwca’ but also on the blasting barrages within ‘A Gallery of Rotting Portraits’.
Hecate Enthroned may get overlooked sometimes, and that is potentially because their albums are strong but their album cycles are short and sweet. On the strength of this new one, it is surely time to stretch things out a bit and take it on a bit of a swagger. Highly recommended.
Best Paired With: Dragon’s Fire, A Sharpened Sword and a bag of Welsh Cakes.
Reviewed by Jaff.
Hecate Enthroned – The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried is out now on m-theory audio.
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