There’s a stunning level of consistency between this Italian orchestral death metal band’s 2021 debut, Apotheosis, and their latest EP, Veils Of Transcendence, despite the label change from Germany’s Rising Nemesis Records to homegrown label, Dusktone (who have been more on my radar recently for their reissues of Stormlord and Spite Extreme Wing albums).

It’s still, epic, bombastic Orchestral/Symphonic (I’m not 100% sure if there is a difference and what it is) death metal in the vein of fellow Italians’ Fleshgod Apocalypse and to these ears, Argentina’s Mortuorial Eclipse. The band has kept the exact sound (having all returning members helps) from the debut album, as this way too short, 4-song, 15-minute, Aleister Crowley-themed EP sounds virtually identical to the debut. But as you’d expect/hope, the band has improved a little in the 3-year gap, with 4 excellent songs that have mid-era Behemoth death metal heft and massive symphonic elements.

Opener and EP centerpiece “Ophidian’s Enthronement” starts things off with a bang with dramatic strings and choirs and a mid-paced stomp, before the song’s final few minutes deliver an absolutely stunning, epic bast beat backed with move score quality orchestration and choirs.

“The Divine Malice Conflagration” delivers stern, brass-heavy militant marches and blasts while the shorter “Enochian Abyss” has a choral bridge around 2 and half minutes in that’s simply glorious. The EP closes out with another short song “Hexed Katharsis”, a mostly mid-paced Middle Eastern bruiser that cements these guys as real up-and-comers in the genre with the potential to join fellow Italians Spiritual Deception and Fleshgod Apocalypse atop the heap.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments