Okay, so think about your favorite Dimmu Borgir album- for me it’s Enthrone Darkness Triumphant; okay, now think of your favorite Cradle of Filth record- mine is Dusk and Her Embrace. The Great Elven War, however, is the best album neither of those bands ever made. This is an album that could’ve come out between Enthrone Darkness Triumphant and Spiritual Black Dimensions or Dusk and Her Embrace and Cruelty and the Beast. The Great Elven War captures that period in time.

Hailing from Australia (not Norway like I originally thought) and formed in 2013, they have one other album under their belt called The Evil of Man that came out in 2019… that’s been a long minute ago, and I’ll go back and check it out later. Still, for now, I have The Great Elven War to talk about.

Constant reader! What an album this is! With a runtime of 1:09:49 it’s a big bite to chew, but it’s so epic that it doesn’t matter. There’s so much, and I mean multiple fucking elements to the songs that each one is an emotional roller-coaster. This is what Atmospheric Black Metal sounds like when you mix in the fiction of Tolkien and Martin (yes, I know that Summoning has made a career out of it. I am well aware of it, thank you very much).

First track “The Hunting Grounds” is a straight-up whip cracker. It’s pretty much right away that the Dimmu Borgir influences show up, and if I didn’t mention the vocals echoing Shagrath I’d be a shitty critic. It’s a blistering song that opens The Great Elven War with brutal intensity.

“Descendants of the Pale Moon” is where the Cradle of Filth-ish melodies creep in. There’s a cool Gehenna moment midway that elevates the track to this ridiculous level. The riffs, though… all Cradle of Filth-ish. Think of it like Cradle of Borgir or Dimmu Filth, what the fuck ever. I need to mention the keyboards at the beginning of the track and how it just brings you into its grasp; it’s ethereal and enrapturing. It’s even a tad bit Borknagar if you listen for the Quintessence moment at the 3:17 point.

 

“The Beast of Beauclair” is one of my favorite tracks. It’s completely unrelenting and just a continuous body blow from the pounding drums. The 2:30 point sees a bit of a martial pacing that reminds me a bit of Dark Requiems… and Unsilent Massacre by Hecate Enthroned. When the 5:30 mark hits, it becomes a gloomy, emotionally charged segue into a hypnotic battle hymn.

“Servants of Sauron” has a For All Tid vibe, and that’s not unwelcome at all. There are these badass flourishes around the 3-3:38 point that are diabolically well done.

This is a phenomenal album, the production is stellar, and the artwork is fucking sick. What more can I do to convince you to go out and brave the frigid cold so that you can own this nasty bastard?

“The North Remembers” starts with some light keyboards before the jogging drums get going; it’s a colorful centerpiece for The Great Elven War and runs headlong into “Horns of the Buffira.” What is a Buffira? I have no fucking idea, but the song fucking rips along with suitable bombastic delivery, and that’s all I need to know.

“The Great Elven War” the song is fucking epic. I’ve recently gotten back into playing Skyrim, and this album is the best soundtrack for the game that I have found. There are tempo changes galore, and as it ends, “Wrath of the High Heavens” takes its place to finish you off… The end is utterly mesmerizing, and this is another album that I just listened to on repeat and am still digging it.

Apparently, Elves are horrible bastards. At any rate, The Great Elven War is a blistering sophomore effort, and that’s all you need to know. You should get the album and find out for yourself, like now. You’re already on your phone…

For the hordes that love Dimmu Borgir, Old Man’s Child, and Cradle of Filth, you know who you are. The fog-kissed mountains are calling you!

[Visit the band's website]

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