You know how they put out pumpkin beers in July every year, way before the air even has a hint of crisp cool? I’m like that with Halloween décor and pretty much anything tied into that. Already have reapers and black cat witches and lit ceramic pumpkins all over the house. So some vampire shit in August? Yeah, I’m here for it.

Helmed solely by Vestibulum, Black Door is a band that storms through dark matter and horrific subject fodder, making their black metal all the bloodier. On their second record “In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam,” Vestibulum storms out of the darkness with nine tracks and 42 minutes, spilling punk fumes and eeriness into a deadly concoction that, while sinister also is pretty fun. This is punishing and enthralling, a dash of energy that sinks its teeth into your neck and openly feeds.

“Grand Opening of the Carnival of Damned Spirits” is an introductory track that smears keys and nightmarish visions, setting the stage for the title track that explodes from the gates. A melodic push swells as the playing thunders, keys glaze, and the howls echo, moving into thrashy terrain. The pace storms as clouds cover, speeding into relentless eternity. “The Stale Humid Mist” hangs in a haze before wordless calls power, and the growls swell. Smoke obscures the playing as light beams tunnel through darkness and into morbidity’s lap. “Entrancement in Dusk, Quintessence of Nightfall” has glorious leads, snarling vocals, and guitars flooding with energy, the raucous path jarring your ribs. Synth sweeps as the growls retch, guitars blur vision, and haunting keys send chills down your spine. “Sinister Musings of a Lamenting Spectre” splatters as clean calls stir, and the playing gushes toward mysterious pockets that feel like they’re dragging you into the past. The tempo is catchy and takes on a punk vibe, the vocals rip hard, and the devastation ends in strange fireworks.

“Wrested from the Behest of Mortality” hammers with adrenaline as cavernous howls grow more spacious, and the force electrifies as it builds its momentum. Guitars flood as the playing makes your blood race, howls smother, and the drums rattle cages, blasting into the night. “Under the Yoke of an Older Spite” dawns in doomy black metal, crashing as the singing clouds visions, mauling with an unmistakable rage that sends seismic waves. The leads liquify before the pace gushes, fiery guitar lines slamming the gas pedal, the vocals lashing. Hypnotic flourishes spill as the playing wrecks, bringing everything down on the foundation. “An Alignment Foreboding, Written in Pandoric Embers” is a brief, chambery instrumental, keys fogging and confounding, moving into closer “Forged By Promethean Fire.” Guitars set the place ablaze as the howls punch over a burly pace and racing leads that dig under flesh. Growls scuff as the soloing takes off toward the clouds, unloading and overwhelming your senses, your brain boiling. The tempo ignites a final time, the earth comes apart beneath you, and the carnage fades, blood caked to your lips.

The vampiric nature of these songs would be obvious on first listen if no one told you about it, and that’s part of what makes “In the Shadows of a Funerary Gleam” such a fun listen. Black Door pummel you for sure, but they add loads of charisma and darkness into what they do, making the music stand out a little more on a crowded black metal field. This is perfect for the approaching colder months and the haunting season, where this record and band are right at home.

For more on the band, go here: https://black-door.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://www.usa-wolvesofhades.com/

Or here (International): https://www.wolvesofhades.com/collections/vinyl-wolves-of-hades-vinyl

For more on the label, go here: https://www.wolvesofhades.com/