__ __ _()__::_ _::_ ___:::___ ___:::____ _::_ _()_ ||_> <__::__> <_,_) _ (_ __) _ (_ _> <________:|| || \/ _/ | \_/ | \| \|| || | | | | | || || | | | | | || || | | | | | || || __ _ | | | | | __ || || ||\/| | | | | | |\ || || || | | | | | || || || _:_ixxu | _:_:\____:::_____/\____:::____//_:____||_____|| ||_> <_____!__> '|_> _ <_ _) _ (_ <__! || || \! | | \/ | \! /______ || || \ | | | | | //|| || __ / | | | | | \\| || |> \ | | | | | | || || |------ \ | | | | | | || == |> / | ____:____ | | | |> == || | / |\ \ | | | | || || / ------ \ | | || ||\__ _____/| _ _______:_____/ \_____ _____// ___________|| `/ | _> | _> | > | _> | _> \' / |/ |/ |/ |/ |/ \ / ! ! ! ! ! \ / \ / \ / \ || Artist......: Yoth Iria || || Album.......: Blazing Inferno || || Year........: 2024 || || || || Genre.......: Black Metal || || Label.......: Edged Circle Productions || || || || Source......: WEB (16bit) || || Encoder.....: libFLAC || || Bitrate.....: 980 kbps avg. || || F.Rate......: 44.1kHz || || || || Playtime....: 00:36:24 / 267.92MB || || R.Date......: 2024-11-07 || || S.Date......: 2024-11-08 || || Website.....: http://play.qobuz.com/album/zcqgdw0nt2wbb || || || || || || 01. Blazing Inferno 3:35 || || 02. But Fear Not 4:11 || || 03. In the Tongue of Birds 5:25 || || 04. Rites of Blood and Ice 4:55 || || 05. Purgatory Revolution 5:13 || || 06. Mornings of the One Thousand Golds 4:59 || || 07. Our Father Rode Again His Ride 3:55 || || 08. We Call Upon the Elements 4:11 || || || || || || Presenting Lucifer’s gift to mankind as a fire set by the || || burning rays of intellect imbued Athens, Greece-based black || || metal quintet YOTH IRIA celebrate the key that would unlock || || free will for all as they continue to revive a life’s work || || spent passing on this ungentle reminder through the density of || || fast-cycling, dead-eyed generations. From the old guard and the || || new this sophomore full-length, ‘Blazing Inferno‘, translates || || an ancient cult-borne and ruddy form of devotion into a || || highest-possible standard of render and expression. Kept simple || || in statement yet entertaining as melody driven and intricately || || voiced black metal with a uniquely Hellenic heavy metal || || spiritus this second coming is pure inspiration for the devotee || || and a finely crafted, memorable experience most black metal || || attuned folks should find redeeming. || || || || Yoth Iria formed circa 2019 by the will of Jim Mutilator a || || bassist, songwriter and lyricist who was directly responsible || || for the Hellenic black metal sound and its legacy via || || co-founding Rotting Christ and playing an integral role to || || Varathron‘s formation and development early on. Zine editor, || || music store owner, and lifetime fan most Mutilator‘s || || explanation as to why he’d returned to back metal speak to a || || sense of belonging moreso than ownership, though all that he’d || || create under this new band has been consistently authentic to || || the Greek black metal sound he’d help propagate ages ago. Of || || course the early line-up also notably featured the equally || || venerable creator of this sound The Magus (Necromantia) on || || vocals alongside drummer J.V. Maelstrom (Embrace of Thorns, || || Violent Definition, et al.) as well as contributions from || || George Emmanuel (Lucifer’s Child) including both guitar and || || engineering/production. This team more-or-less carried through || || all of their work from 2019-2023 with the ‘Under His Sway‘ || || (2020) EP speaking to what the two legendary folks had brought || || to other bands in the early-to-mid 90’s as well as heavy metal || || in general, a feeling which was amplified by their “The Red || || Crown Turns Black” song from a split with Kawir that same year. || || || || There was a lot of weight placed upon ‘As the Flame Withers‘ || || (2021) to be the second coming, or, the return of classic || || Hellenic black metal as evidenced by the need for many critics || || to speak to the history involved but it wasn’t a nostalgic || || release… rather one from folks who’d never dropped their || || interest in black metal, or at least weren’t trying to relive || || the 90’s head-on. Brilliantly polished, driven by a steady || || rhythmic charge and a heavy metal gait Yoth Iria made the right || || choice in establishing themselves with their own sound which || || was adjacent to the old ways without pandering directly. If we || || must consider it contemporary black metal then well, either way || || the right feeling was there and their expectations were largely || || set skyward going forward and… despite the very different || || sounds explored on the 2023 EP ‘Flame of the Whirling Swords‘. || || Beyond that point the line-up of the band had changed to allow || || for live performances and fully flesh out touring ability || || and/or any demands made of ’em. This of course gives ‘Blazing || || Inferno‘ an entirely different feel and sound which is yet || || hi-fi and glorious in its rich, layered sound but also enriched || || with loftier dramatic tension. || || || || Taking the reigns of the old coffin spiritus. — While I will || || stop short of suggesting that ‘Blazing Inferno‘ sounds like || || Rotting Christ in its anthemic, intricately delivered melodic || || black metal style there is of course some relation via certain || || sensibilities that’ll allow for Yoth Iria‘s latest to inspire a || || similar fandom. The high standard of lead guitar melodies is a || || major contributor to this thought as both flourish and main || || driver for many of these songs lands upon sweetly arranged, || || sometimes rocking leads that give us a strong tinge of the old || || cult but from a sublimely polished, fully pro result. || || Opener/title track “Blazing Inferno” warms up the mind in this || || regard, down to the last palm mute they’ve delivered narrative || || and flexed a bit of their melodious muscle enough to cue the || || Hellenic black metal addicted mind into action. The slap right || || into “But Fear Not” and its sentimental lead might even sent || || the mind towards, eh, something like ‘Theogonia‘ for a moment || || once they’re hammering at full stampede (see also: “Purgatory || || Revolution”) but in no real way should anyone find the full || || breadth of Mutilator & co.’s songwriting plainly referential of || || the past. The engine is starting, all elements are firing up as || || some traditional instrumentation and additional vocals give || || some great mystic assurance to the devout. The spiritual || || quality of the music and a twist of nostalgia make the entryway || || into this realm particularly fascinating, redeeming as the || || product of a neatly stated compositional hand with a subtle || || touch. || || || || “In the Tongue of Birds” is perhaps one of the finer singles to || || hit the melodic spectrum of black metal this year in terms of || || heavy metal/hard rock structured fanfare directing a dark metal || || sound. We cannot escape the glowing hands of Yoth Iria‘s touch || || which amplifies classic Greek black metal theatre into || || something larger than itself. It is also a chance to warm to || || and acknowledge the overall use of tension and worthy || || excitation, patience and immediacy employed in very simple ways || || on ‘Blazing Inferno‘ which warm to the listener to quite || || accessible melodic metal ideas. I’m not saying that this song || || is intentionally writ to amplify the bones of records like || || ‘Triarchy of the Lost Lovers‘, we’ve other more direct records || || that might fit better, but when we hit the ~2:34 minute mark it || || is as if these guitarists have unearthed an ancient scroll of || || knowledge (via a bit of palm muting) that lends a small but || || special moment among many; While the tone of this album remains || || consistent and directly set throughout this doesn’t hinder || || these details gathering in mind and adding weight to the larger || || experience. Side A generally gets this point across well at a || || consistent mid-paced clip delivering fairly straight forward || || pieces which balance referential techniques and melodic tics || || with sleekened presentation. It might not be as sinister, ugly || || or blazing fast as some die-hard Hellenic black metal minds || || would want but here we get something feasibly on the pro-level || || of nowadays Varathron and Rotting Christ. || || || || Of course the pace eventually spikes here and there with the || || steady rise of “Mornings of the One Thousand Golds” being || || largely comprised of its epic build and escalating wah-pedal || || swelled core riff and trampling refrains. This helps the || || increasingly heady, distant thunder of Yoth Iria to not fade || || into sleep particularly as the rousing kick of “Our Father Rode || || Again His Ride” brings their melodramatic touch and some || || traditional heavy metal wheeling back into view, even resulting || || in some clean vocals which are especially effective. Again, || || these songs typically rise to a great point of reveal and make || || their point before quickly finding a way to sew up the wound, || || rather than repeat a chorus indefinitely or toss in a few more || || verses each song reaches its goal and steps away as soon as || || possible, often avoiding the need to play-out a song with a big || || guitar solo. While this keeps ‘Blazing Inferno’ at a taut and || || easily enjoyed ~37 minutes in length it does feel like they’ve || || chopped it a bit too tightly as the closing piece (“We Call || || Upon the Elements“) begins to soar with its triplet scraping || || roll, avoids forming much of a statement beyond the core lead || || guitar hook and one refrain, before simply chugging out and || || hitting “stop”. For all of the work put into building the || || return of these folks back in grand fashion, all of the || || dramatic fanfare that greets the ear to start, the endpoint || || here is anticlimactic to an unsatisfying degree. That said, || || they’d kept the energy up and the vision for the album reads as || || complete otherwise. || || || || Beyond the greater shape of ‘Blazing Inferno‘ and its steady || || yet subtly formed melodious energies Yoth Iria once again || || shares with us the wizened philosophy of Mutilator in both || || direct and indirect speech. What ultimately forms is a || || narrative which begins with an empyrean clash and eventually || || relays a series of mythological-level events which speak to || || freeing the self of that which controls you, be it religion or || || fear itself. Having my own formative experiences with black || || metal delving into his lyrics via other bands to me this is || || akin reading a favorite author decades later and finding those || || guiding principles, that voice upheld in righteous spirit. This || || in concurrence with the music itself of course speaks to both || || nostalgia and a sense of moderne refinements, creating a || || strangely easy record to fall into for hours at a time. With || || consideration for the cycle and running order itself the loop || || wasn’t always perfect when left on repeat yet I couldn’t deny || || that most every song on this album held its own in succession || || and when singled out piecemeal. Much in the way that the latest || || Deviser release felt like a collection of anthems, not all of || || which flowed from piece to piece, this experience feels like || || certain moments are clear single-worthy excursions whereas || || others provide the momentum the album needs to tarry on. || || || || Fine art direction, exceptional production values, a || || well-enriched sound per their quintet built line-up all speak || || to Yoth Iria confidently expanding in scale to suit their || || increasingly focused and artfully struck craft between || || hail-worthy tradition and a high modern standard for melodic || || black metal. ‘Blazing Inferno‘ offers more than a follow-up in || || this sense but rather a broader realization of potential likely || || to speak even more directly to the Hellenic black metal fandom || || at large while also offering something satisfyingly dark and || || meaningful for the elder guard. As a inordinate fan of this || || style of music this feels like a obscenely high standard set || || without any blandly obviate fanservice, the right balance of || || elements struck which allows the conviction behind the music to || || convey successfully on record. For my own taste it has been a || || steeling, inspiring experience to delve into thanks to is || || approachable and easily enjoyed effect and an album which only || || reinforces my faith in the old cult. || || || || || || || (= =) (= =) || || `' `'