Poland has always produced the highest quality when it comes to black and death metal. Just look at Behemoth, Hate, Christ Agony, Damnation and etc… Many of these bands represented characteristic styles which fans can differentiate from other bands. Generally speaking, Polish black metal bands in the last few years have delivered tons of outstanding albums. Today the top quality of black metal bands remains in Europe and Blaze of Perdition is one of the rising bands that combines superior melodies and technique. The band caught my attention with their recent albums ‘Near Death Revelations‘ and ‘Conscious Darkness‘. Since 2007 Blaze of Perdition went from strength to strength, and have evolved drastically since.  

‘The Harrowing of Hearts’ is their finest work to date. The outcome of their sonic evolution has effectively become apparent, although many fans would compare them to Mgla. ‘The Harrowing of Hearts‘ represents a detailed plethora of melodies, while still being rooted in the black metal genre. The opening track ‘Suffering Made Bliss‘ shows their talent in utilizing the instruments. The striking melodic guitar riffs and rhythm depict catchy melodies and a variety of different styles. Blaze of Perdition found its niche. The layering of textures includes rhythm guitars and humming bass guitar lines.

While musical orchestration is dominated by mid-tempo, the band applies layers and layers of melody. Although I must say that the new album has captured me with the first track, Blaze of Perdition found many creative ways to create their art. They depict a dark atmosphere with melodies delivered at full scale. ‘With Madman’s Faith‘ has a tranquil atmosphere. The perfect mixture of synth and ethereal chords are artfully arranged. The vocals sound ghostly and they’re not uttered in typical black metal fashion. However Blaze of Perdition makes use of modern aesthetics of post-rock and black metal. Therefore the album has a varied tone of guitar sections, and the atmosphere is built on density. In terms of melodies and harmonies, ‘The Harrowing of Hearts‘ showcases their modified rhythm.

The dark and menacing melodies flow perpetually with raspy vocals and blazing guitars. ‘Transmutation of Sins‘ is a gloomy combination of post-rock elements and modern black metal. The lively tunes of guitar riffs beautifully contrast with the bass guitar, while the subdued synth sweeps smoothly in the background. The album is focused on sentimental melodies and through the high-class performance, each track is beautifully constructed. Each melody is intricately weaved, while the vocals remain as a binding element, and the atmosphere which the guitar creates is quite captivating.

‘The Harrowing of Hearts‘ is a balanced album and presents six tracks and a cover song of Fields of The Nephilim. With this incredible outing Blaze of Perdition cement their craft quite professionally through 51 minutes of consistency. They present a high quality of melodic black metal, although the main musical components are structured upon the lively rock elements. With the burst of the kaleidoscopic melodies riffs ‘Królestwo Niebieskie‘ revolves around the mid-paced tempo.

The band focuses on the refined aspects of black metal by blending various textures and themes into the music. Through years of long experience Blaze of Perdition craft their best innovative work. ‘What Christ Has Kept Apart‘ is an example of their musical evolution. The quartet ensures that each track is delivered with the highest level of dynamism and sophistication, and for this reason the tracks flow with energetic sense. The comparison to relative bands such as Behemoth and Mgla is also valid. Blaze of Perdition come parallel to these bands but at the same time, they avoid to model themselves on imitation. ‘The Harrowing of Hearts‘ is a unique paragon of what modern black metal can offer in the contemporary age. ‘The Great Seducer‘ contains rich melodies weaved with driven tremolos and proves how the band can mix different musical styles with such dexterity.

Intricate guitar melodies produce dissonance and elaborate structures. As if the band had explored the inner depth of their talents. And if there were one thing that would outline the musical alchemy, it would be the excellent guitar arrangements. This shapes the gloomy atmosphere by giving it unique and sophisticated content. The melodies here are executed on a different level. Throughout the long duration of the album, the drum’s performance is ideally executed, and the effect of the melodic spectrum is achieved by intellectual innovation. Blaze of Perdition on their newest outing shows musical growth and dexterity. This is a highly recommended album!!

Release Date: February 14th, 2020
Label: Metal Blade Records
Track list:

1. Suffering Made Bliss
2. With Madman’s Faith
3. Transmutation of Sin
4. Królestwo Niebieskie
5. What Christ Has Kept Apart
6. The Great Seducer
7. Moonchild (Fields of the Nephilim cover)