Band:	Sulphur Aeon
Album:	Seven Crowns And Seven Seals
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	October 13, 2023
A review by:	F3ynman

01. Sombre Tidings
02. Hammer From The Howling Void
03. Usurper Of The Earth And Sea
04. The Yearning Abyss Devours Us
05. Arcane Cambrian Sorcery
06. Seven Crowns And Seven Seals
07. Beneath The Ziqqurats

"Sie sind hier." They are here. With these words, Sulphur Aeon return after five years, once more heralding Lovecraftian horrors with entertaining and highly melodic death metal.

The German five-piece Sulphur Aeon present their fourth album: Seven Crowns and Seven Seals. In line with all of their previous releases, this LP features lyrics devoted to H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos of cosmic terror as well as spectacular cover art of a hideous multi-tendrilled maw surrounded by bleeding planets. Fans of Lovecraft will be pleased to follow along with the lyrics, as the classic imagery of a "timeless abyss", "heinous gateways", "venomous wormholes", and the "howling void" are described in terrifying detail. The title track also calls upon seven of Lovecraft's infamous deities: Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, Dagon, Yig, Azathoth, and Yog-Sothoth. (Although, it should be noted that this theme of seven monsters isn't entirely new for Sulphur Aeon — see the song "Inexorable Spirits" from their debut.)

Despite the menacing lyrical themes, the style of death metal that Sulphur Aeon play isn't actually as oppressive as it could be. While the growls of the vocalist alternate between a raspy blackened approach and a more rumbling baritone, there are plenty of cleanly sung backing vocals that support catchy choruses. In contrast to the musical directions of other Lovecraft-inspired metal bands such as Catacombs's funeral doom and Blut Aus Nord's dissonant black metal, Sulphur Aeon's songs are filled with numerous melodic lead guitar riffs, creating a surprisingly pleasant listening experience.

Rather than crushing the audience with a suffocating atmosphere, eerie melodies and groovy guitar-work craft an engaging experience that's enveloped by an overarching somber mood. This approach reaches its climax three minutes into the title track, when an unexpectedly melancholic, calm section is introduced. The vocalist mournfully sings in a manner seemingly influenced by Iron Maiden's "Moonchild":

"Seven celestial majesties
Seven malevolent royalties
Seven planets, seven signs
Seven blasphemies entwined

Seven crowns, seven lords
Seven abominations roar
Seven crowns, seven seals
Seven spells will end our reign"

By the way, here's a fun fact: Although they've often inserted phrases of the Old Ones' tongue-twisting language in their previous albums, Seven Crowns and Seven Seals marks the first time that the German band have actually included German lyrics. Besides the spoken snippet on the intro track, there's prominent usage of German on the concluding track. The mention of "unaussprechlichen Kulten" (unspeakable cults) is also especially reminiscent of Nile's Lovecraftian song of the same name.

In conclusion, after writing the same chaos-worshipping songs for more than a decade, it's remarkable that Sulphur Aeon nevertheless manage to remain extremely entertaining. Their melodic style sounds as fresh as ever, producing catchy, groovy hymns for the cosmic apocalypse. In a way, the German lyrics on the final track parallel the music in a meta manner, as the backing vocals demand "Melodien für den Untergang" and "tosende Gesänge aus tiefsten Tiefen". You want "melodies for the moribund kind" and "blaring chants from deepest depths"? Well, you've already found the right band: Sulphur Aeon is your answer!