Album Review: Hecate Enthroned - The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried
Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez
Legends of the British underground black metal scene, Hecate Enthroned have had quite the history, with festival appearances at Damnation, Bloodstock, and Incineration in the UK, as well as appearing on the posters of Brutal Assault and Inferno festivals in mainland Europe! My introduction to the band, in the live arena, came during Reaper Festival in Manchester…and they were magnificent! Since their birth in the 1990s, the band have undergone some major changes in their lineup, and along with this comes changes to their sound. From the raw and primitive recordings from “The Slaughter of Innocence, a Requiem for the Mighty” to the more modern and refined approach characterised by “Embrace of the Godless Aeon”. Though Hecate Enthroned have always retained that impressive symphonic spice of black metal. 7 years have passed since their last full length. Good things come to those who wait, right? Right? Let’s find out with the band’s latest offering “The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried”.
Austere. Haunting. Intriguing. Words to describe the chilling opening instrumental track that is ‘Adar Rhiannon’. Not the first time we have instrumental tracks (more on that later). All before vocalist Joe asserts himself with the most fierce of vocal shrieks to begin ‘Spirits Stir Within Our Ancestors Tombs’ . The pace is slow, measured, the tension palpable. Staying in the lower gears and before the time comes to unleash all hell. Then it does come. The pace quickens, the fury of the double kick drum joined by the sinister undertone of the synths, whilst the guitars and bass lock in to provide a dense distorted wall of sound. Then things slow down considerably at the 4 minute mark. Acoustic guitars providing an almost symphonic and melodic quality. More importantly, this provides some temporary respite for your senses after the pounding they’ve just endured. Though business quickly resumes as the end of this and ‘The Arcane Golem’ continue the relentlessly-paced multi-dimensional symphonic attack.
The acoustic guitars return at the beginning of ‘Steed of the Still Water’, providing a sense of continuity and narrative. Again, it helps to provide balance and brings us back down to earth, helping with the pacing of the album. Deviating from the route one blast beat barrage, the rhythm section leans into more of a hypnotic pattern, demonstrating versatility. The structure of the song and the entire album suggests that they’re not playing by the conventional rule book...and fair play to them, you never quite know where Hecate Enthroned are taking you next. Well, in this case, we’re lead to ‘Pwca’. The interplay and synergy of the violin and piano in this 6 minute instrumental ballad is like the soundtrack from an epic tragedy or a real tear jerking sad movie. Imagine a war movie where the lead character reflects upon losing one of his most cherished comrades in the theatre of war, and memories of him flash upon the screen. The mood is sombre, melancholic, and is set perfectly by this number.
That sombre and melancholic mood quickly turns to austere and terror-inducing in the opening to ‘Deathless in the Dryad Glade’. Imagine the slower more ambient parts of a funeral doom track in the style of Bell Witch. The silence in between each strike of the haunting arpeggio is just as important as the notes themselves, leaving you in a state of suspense and trying to ready yourself for what’s coming next. For all the intricate and high level compositions, it feels like the right time to just go route one with a good old-fashioned cathartic blast beat lead atmospheric burst. As they do here; and it’s wonderful! One of the highlights of the album! This route one approach continues into ‘A Gallery Of Rotting Portaits’, a rather succinct four minute number which as aggressive as it is abrasive!
Forty minutes in, and to be truthful, listener fatigue begins to seep in. With the songs regularly hovering around the seven minute mark, Hecate Enthroned are asking for quite a big investment in the listeners time here. Sadly, ‘The Boreal Monastery’ doesn’t feel like anything too dissimilar from what we’ve already heard. The weak link really. It doesn’t help that with Joe’s vocals; no matter how fierce they sound, his lyrics become lost in a high pitched distorted shriek that’s almost impossible to decode. Making you wonder what’s the point in having lyrics, and results in a narrative lost and one that cannot be followed. Will things end on a high ‘Into a Vale Of Endless Snow’?
If you’re looking for a nightmare-inducing dissonant orchestral passage that will imprint itself onto your subconscious mind, then you’ve found it! A novel entity that slaps you in the face and provides a much needed fresh stimulus. The rest of the song is cathartic and immersive, before the dynamics come crashing down in a tranquil ambient end that allows you to decompress and return to the mortal realm.
Somethings are definitely worth waiting for. If Hecate Enthroned have spent seven years writing and producing “The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried”, that’s seven years well spent. The band have been somewhat overlooked and forgotten about when the conversation of British black metal is brought up. “The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried” serves as a powerful reminder of Hecate Enthroned’s supreme talent and positions themselves amongst the elite in British black metal!
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