Blaze of Perdition were formed back in 2007, and had already released two albums by the time they suffered a tragedy while on tour in 2013, when a road accident took the life of bassist Ikaroz and left vocalist Sonneillo. and drummer Vizun severely injured. The band regrouped, and in 2015 released ‘Near Death Revelations’ and are now back with their latest album, ‘Conscious Darkness’. Unfortunately, I can’t say who is in the band these days as different sites list different members (no bassist) but it looks like the band are probably a four-piece, while the press release doesn’t say anything and the photos I’ve seen show only two people!
That is a shame, as the guys involved in this deserve plenty of credit. There are only four songs, but the shortest of these is eight minutes in length and the album as a whole, clocks in at more than forty-three. There were many who felt that the band were too influenced by Watain in the early days, and certainly the consensus is that the last album was easily the best they had completed to date, spurred on by what they had suffered and a determination to channel the emotion. But, reviews this time around are saying that they have managed to surpass even that, and certainly I can see why. The emotion coming through is palpable, while the atmospherics are perfect. What I find particularly interesting is the way that the mood shifts and changes, and even the vocal stylings are amended and altered depending on what is required – there are even times when they are being sung in a quite plain manner, but still dripping with pain and passion. It is a powerful album in so many ways, with stunning drums and rhythms that drag the listener in, yet at all times I imagine them playing deep in a cave that is lit only by candles, with cowls over their heads so that no-one can see their faces.
This is essential listening for anyone into black metal: it rarely gets any better than this, and if you don’t believe me why not listen to it before you buy?
