There’s a good reason why fantasy books and movies are so popular, in that they provide a means to escape our normal lives and dive deep into another world where the events don’t have long-lasting implications on our real lives. Like, fuck, we have a potentially terrifying election coming up this year, and I’ll need every distraction possible in order to keep my head straight as fire rains.
Louisville-based black metal band Volcandra know this very well, and during their run they have plied their thunderous music with fantasy elements designed to both destroy your senses and give you some time to get out of the real world. Early heavy metal always has had its sword in magical and mythical adventures, and the band—vocalist Dave Palenske, guitarists River Jordan and Jamie DeMar, bassist Andrew Casciato, drummer Mike Hargrave—goes in full bore on their second record “The Way of Ancients,” electrifying their music and your experience, which always helps after you’ve consumed the fucking news.
“Birth of the Nephalem” slowly dawns from the darkness before a melodic assault gets under way, the growls gutting as the playing gets uglier. A fiery solo begins to gut as the riffs sprawl, the power scrapes, and the growls crush mercilessly. “Fouled Sanctity” is bruising as the vocals punish, the playing splattering as the blood flows. Leads twist as the pace shifts, trudging as things get more evil sounding, slashing and drawing lava from the earth. “Nemesis Confession” starts with icy keys, and then the detonation strikes, black metal fury tangling, the tempo driving slowly but steadily. The playing tangles before things gets faster and deadlier, the power destroys, and the shrieks do damage, leaving you lying in ash. “Maiden of Anguish” delivers a guitar blur before the hammers strike, the growls mar, and the leads tingle. Gazey melodies pull you under and make blood surge, devastating and leaving behind destruction.
“Seven Tombs” start mystically, clean guitars drizzling before the carnage arrives. The playing is fast and brutal, a noticeable increase in intensity, group shouts rousing and making the ground quake, forceful blasts crushing to the end. “The Blackened Temple” blisters and zaps, tornadic terror making its presence felt, destroying with a fervor that’s impressive to behold. The pace trudges before the soloing melts, delivering melodies laced in thorns, ending in brutality. “Not Even Death” has stinging, bruising guitars that eventually work into a lather, and then the growls darken the scene, curdling your stomach. Acoustics wash in to add some cooler air to the heatwave, the playing explores the skies, and delicate guitars return to wash away the pain. Closer “The Way of Ancients” starts cleanly and proggy, and then the pace picks up and storms, melodic leads firing and increasing the sense of adventure. That fades into a cold front where the guitars murmur, and rustic storms pick up before the explosion rips out walls. The playing continues to rampage as everything fades into delicate shades, slowly fading into mystical clouds.
Having an escape from reality, especially the one in which we’re ensconced, always is something we can embrace, and Volcandra continually answer the bell when it comes to giving us something into which we can disappear. “The Way of Ancients” is another chapter that takes on a fantasy adventure into a melodic black metal storm that actually feels fun to experience. This is a great record for when you want to hear something devastating and don’t want to walk away sullen and depressed. This one does the opposite!
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Volcandra
To buy the album, go here: https://shop.prostheticrecords.com/
For more on the label, go here: https://prostheticrecords.com/
Meat Mead Metal 