The album kicks off with ‘Luciferian’, a compelling opening that sets the tone for this grand album, which showcases the strength of the musical composition. The keyboards and the grim shrieking vocals create an epic feeling where Mystic Circle channels its skills, unleashing savage rhythm guitars, blast beats and synths that are perfectly woven into the sound.

The listener is treated to excellent musicianship in an arousing melodic duel between lead guitars and keyboards on ‘The Scarlet Queen of Harlot’. Every song on ‘Hexenbrand 1486′ exemplifies the classical European black metal style, featuring moments of blazing tremolo-picked riffs, catchy lead guitar passages and demonic shrieking. It displays the fine craft of Blackwar (drums, guitars, and keyboards) and Beelzebub (vocals, bass, guitars, and keyboards).

The guitar melodies are intertwined by lead and rhythm guitar swagger, bringing the ferocity and the savage side of Mystic Circle, which is more focused on haunting soundscapes driven by bombastic synth arrangements. The album is noteworthy for featuring guest female singers such as Sarah Jezebel Deva (ex-Cradle of Filth, The Kovenant) and Karo Hafke (Umbra ET Imago, Giants Causaway), as well as Natalie Ostermaier, the author and illustrator of the book ‘Kramer’.

Mystic Circle has achieved a crowning moment with its new album, where the contrast between aggression and guitar melodies is brilliantly showcased. The symphonic melodic aura defines the songs. There are some beautiful ideas about the grandiloquent approach, where the female vocals are used in some passages to create an emotional climax on tracks like ‘In the Sign of The Goat’, which is on par with the black/gothic metal bands of the 90s.

The strong performance of the duo brings plenty of fast-paced tempos and rapid blast beats wrought in a rather bombastic tradition that will keep the listener hooked. The riffing on the album has a powerful effect, arranged to fit perfectly into the songs. The keyboards, this time, create a unique feeling, unlike on the previous album, ‘Erzdämon’. Something is reminiscent of past albums like ‘Drachenblut’ and ‘Infernal Satanic Verses’, which are, in my opinion, the band’s best works.

The duo elaborated and put together their best studio output since their reunion, striding between galloping riffs and keyboard embellishment on ‘Ghost of the Whitechapel’, which will appeal to fans of Old Man’s Child and Dimmu Borgir.

The mid-paced songs feature sinister guitar melodies played with virtuosic skills, followed by a sinister rhythm. Despite the polished production of the album, the mixing renders a powerful, warm sound and is not overproduced.

That said, the symphonic orchestral interlude ‘Institoris (Heinrich Kramer)’ uncovers the subtle and profound arrangements of the synths that give the song an apocalyptic feel before the guitar opens with a melodic section on the next song ‘The Bible of Witch Chase’.

This track combines great melodies and atmospheric synth, upping the tempo to create a dynamic vibe. It shows the melodic side of Mystic Circle by fusing elements of heavy metal within a heavier mid-tempo approach. While varying from the demonic haunting synth, gloomy melodies and pure black metal energy ‘Blutschande Unzucht Sodomie’ fires on all cylinders. The rapid blast beats and the tremolo-picked riffing are vigorously combined.

The grand moments are rife on ‘Hexenbrand 1486′. Nevertheless, the duo still has some tricks up its sleeves by keeping the quality level coherently amusing, the ears dripping with gloomy and melodic melodrama. The result is captivating and full of bombastic song arrangements. ‘Dance on the Wings of Black Magic’ weaves dark, demonic themes in which  the riff craft and female vocals are brought to the forefront.

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