Band:	Ecclesia
Album:	Ecclesia Militans
Style:	Doom metal
Release date:	March 2024

01. Vade Retro
02. If She Floats
03. Et Cum Spiritu Tuo
04. Antecclesia
05. Ecclesia Militans
06. The Exorcism
07. Ereptor Verae Fidei
08. Redden The Iron
09. Havester Of Sinful Souls
10. Quis Ut Deus

Who would have thought that the Ecclesia Militans would make witch-hunting sound such great fun.

Ecclesia are a French six-man traditional doom metal band who formed back in 2016. The band presented their full-length debut titled De Ecclesiæ Universalis in 2020, an album that helped the band establish their theme of medieval witchfinders. Now, Ecclesia return after another 4 years to unleash their sophomore release, Ecclesia Militans. With similar lyrical themes (centred around holy Inquisition in the 12th century) and a striking musical balance between traditional heavy metal and epic doom that covers influences spanning Candlemass, Cathedral, Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath, and Witchfinder General, the scene is set for this latest effort to build on the promise of the debut.

The album starts off with a short instrumental opener titled "Vade Retro", which features French spoken word narration accompanying monk chants and light eerie synths, ending with the ominous words "now we're ready to begin". "If She Floats" kicks things off properly with a lively, memorable heavy metal riff, which is soon accompanied by exciting leads (courtesy of guitarists that go by the titles of The Witchfinder General and Julius Accusator). Perhaps the most striking feature, however, is the sound of the church organ (provided by Pater Walkelinus), which perfectly complements the monk chants and agonizing screams, all of which add to the dramatic medieval soundscape. The sinister lyrics of this track describe the trial by water that suspected witches were subjected to, with the result that they either drowned, or floated and were found guilty of witchcraft.

The musical style established on this first song is sustained and used to create great songs on the remainder of the album. "Et Cum Spiritu Tuo" is a prime example of how the church organ can sound so effective in creating a creepy and sinister atmosphere, yet remaining strangely groovy at the same time, reminding me very much of Ghost and offering a lot of fun. The twin guitar work always delivers a high level of groove, keeping the headbanging entertainment level at a high, whilst the rhythms provided by bassist Frater Ignis Sacer and drummer Pater Hexenhammer power along at ideal tempos, never disrupting the album's flow. The vocal performance by Frater Arnhwald is also admirable, especially his powerful delivery on the track "Antecclesia", a highlight of the record for its soaring guitar leads and doomy Candlemass-style riffs.

Most songs here are at reasonable length, typically around 4-5 minutes, but, the longest track, "Havester Of Sinful Souls" runs beyond 7 minutes. That time is used well, as the track features just about everything listeners have heard throughout the preceding runtime, including monk chants, church bells, and organs, mid-tempo doomy slogs and livelier trad heavy riffs, and vocals that deliver both slow, powerful wails and also more passionate cries.

Ecclesia are a remarkable act in how they take such sinister historical events and turn them into light-hearted fun, with highly intriguing songwriting, captivating soundscapes, joyful and memorable melodies, and an impressive all-round performance from the whole band line-up. Ecclesia want to invite you metalheads to come join the Ecclesia Militans for some witch-hunting madness.