Band:	Hecate Enthroned
Album:	Embrace Of The Godless Aeon
Style:	Melodic black metal, Blackened death metal
Release date:	January 2019

01. Ascension
02. Revelations In Autumn Flame
03. Temples That Breathe
04. Goddess Of Dark Misfits
05. Whispers In The Mountain Ossuary
06. Enthrallment
07. The Shuddering Giant
08. Silent Conversations With Distant Stars
09. Erebus And Terror

Hecate Enthroned. You all know them as the symphonic black metal band from the UK having formed all the way back in the early '90s.

Okay, so it's easy to confuse them with Cradle Of Filth, especially when taken into account both bands have shared musicians and utilized guest vocals by the cult-worshiped legend Sarah Jezebel Deva. But despite these similarities, Hecate Enthroned avoided diluting their sound with gothic metal elements and instead focused on the more extreme aspects of the style ever since, retaliating against aforementioned comparisons with their high-paced death metal intensity and ominous black metal atmosphere. While still not exactly setting themselves a part from the sea of other symphonic black metal bands in existence, this release is proof that things are finally coming together for this lesser known outfit, though it still lacks an overall driving point.

Embrace Of The Godless Aeon saunters out of the gate with a soft piano intro, leading up to a typical black metal assault augmented by soaring keyboard passages and bombastic, pounding drums. That's essentially the trend that plays on throughout the rest of the album, with little variance in approach, but it offers the benefit of being well-executed and catchy. With the emphasis placed mostly on showing off the piano, keyboard, orchestra, and guest vocal work, there's little room left for (any) intricate guitar solos, which would have really elevated this release into something far more memorable. The rigid tremolo riffs and straightforward song structures don't allow for much deviance beyond the accepted path, but the path itself is engaging enough for what it is.

Individually, the musicians deserve their fair share of praise for having put together something that flows so smoothly and ticks all the boxes most people hope for when listening to a new album. From front to back, every song feels like it has a purpose and was painstakingly crafted, every passing second an artistic decision. That may sound pretentious, which I suppose is befitting of an album of this nature, but it's an accurate assessment of their songwriting abilities. And that same level of care extends beyond the recording process and into the mixing room, with Dan Abela (who's worked with Sarah Jezebel Deva before as both musician and production member) handling the challenge of ensuring no instruments get buried and new vocalist Joe Stamp's wide range of high-pitched shrieks and brutal growls stands out alongside the overwhelming array of backing orchestral elements.

Embrace Of The Godless Aeon isn't an album that will blow you away with its experimentation, but it will absolutely please fans of pro-grade, evocative, symphonic extreme metal, and fans of Hecate Enthroned for that matter. Its brutally straightforward overtones will also make this drink go down a little easier for those who prefer a single malt over a hard cider.