Band:	Majesties
Album:	Vast Reaches Unclaimed
Style:	Melodic death metal
Release date:	March 2023

01. In Yearning, Alive
02. The World Unseen
03. Our Gracious Captors
04. Verdant Paths To Radiance
05. Across The Neverwhen
06. Seekers Of The Ineffable
07. Sidereal Spire
08. Temporal Anchor
09. City Of Nine Gates
10. Journey's End

Throughout the Vast Reaches Unclaimed, the Gothenburg sound truly lives on.

Formed only last year in 2022, the new exciting U.S. melodic death metal prospect Majesties come one year later to bring us their full-length cracker of a debut, Vast Reaches Unclaimed. The band is a trio consisting of the two current members of melodic black metal act Inexorum, namely Mathew Kirkwold on bass and Carl N. Skldum on guitars, as well as the talented multi-instrumentalist Tanner Reed Anderson of funeral doom band Celestiial and black/death/folk band Obsequiae, who shows his assets as vocalist, drummer, and additional guitarist. With this line-up, this new release shapes up to be good, don't you think?

Well, it sure as hell is good, but what does Vast Reaches Unclaimed offer? It isn't just your regular melodic death metal release, it's much more in fact; they have the Gothenburg sound and style down to a tee, from the juicy In Flames style guitar tone, to the superb twin guitar work, where you hear one super melodic upbeat riff after another, working in perfect harmony with the incredibly exciting guitar leads. The guitar work really is nothing short of memorable throughout; you even have the lighter acoustic sections resembling moments from the old classic The Jester Race.

The performances by each of the three musicians involved is done to an incredibly high standard; however, you have to take your hat off especially to Anderson most of all, as he provides impressive double bass drumming and rapid blast-beats along with his aggressive and highly energizing vocals, whilst also showing off some impressive guitar licks, putting all his musical talent and experience into the best of use.

This is an album filled with short bombastic memorable tracks, each track containing joyous hooks and exciting melodies, and with only three of the ten songs pushing past four minutes. This means the rapid flow never gets interrupted; even the short instrumental intervals, notably at the beginning of the opening and closing track, give just enough breathing space before the onslaught continues, working very much in the same structural manner as Slaughter Of The Soul.

If you're one that was into the Gothenburg scene during its heyday in the late 90s, then there is absolutely no reason you won't like this album, especially if you miss the old In Flames and At The Gates. I can honestly describe Vast Reaches Unclaimed as a genuine mash-up between Slaughter Of The Soul and The Jester Race, in both sound quality and style, and this is only the beginning for these newly royal melodeath Majesties, so you can expect great things in the future from them, that's for sure.