Italian black metal band Blaze of Sorrow is entering its sixteenth year of existence, and it has gone through some notable changes in recent memory. What began as the solo project of Italian musician Peter expanded to include a drummer in 2011 and became a full band in 2019, making sixth album Absentia a bit more robust sounding as a result. But this hasn’t changed Peter’s approach to black metal, which takes some of the harsher riffs and vocals and runs them through an atmospheric/folk lens. This holds true on Vultus Fati, which builds naturally on its predecessor with bursts of aggression and fire in between introspective melodies. The material does reach some of its peaks around the three-quarter mark, with the last few tracks not making quite the same impression, but this is still another strong showing from a band that has an identify of its own.
Rather than launching right into abrasive riffing and denser tonality like a lot of black metal, Vultus Fati eases the listener in with a somber guitar and viola intro that immediately brings a lot of darker folk to mind. Once the black metal side does kick in, you’ll find that Blaze of Sorrow bears a lot more similarities to their Greek peers from the East rather than their fellow countrymen, as the move between mid-tempo pacing and faster blasting hits that same powerful, epic flair. While a lot of artists that skew towards the atmospheric and folk side of black metal tend to be long winded, Blaze of Sorrow crams a lot of diversity into a more compact run time. Songs like “Flammae” and “Aion” succeed in their ability to build up to dense climaxes that have all the genre’s fury and grittiness while also spending time exploring much softer textures that get under your skin. It’s a balance that can be hard to find, but the moves from melancholic to roaring fury feel natural and give listeners plenty to discover upon repeat listens. Vultus Fati is also bolstered by some production tweaks that make for a fuller sound compared to the group’s past discography, allowing the harsher peaks to make a greater impact while also leaving enough spaces for the smaller details to shine. One of my favorite moments on the entire album is “Eretica”, which starts off with a stunning melody that seems to dance over the recording and transitions to a galloping, triumphant riff that has some clear heavy metal influence by the end. Admittedly even with these high points it did feel like Vultus Fati peaked with “Aion”, as “Ombre” didn’t leave quite the same impression and I would’ve preferred a more intense closing passage rather than the soft fade out of “Aura”.
The instrumentals may incorporate plenty of softer passages, but the vocals keep things rooted in the harsher side of the spectrum. Peter utilizes a raspy scream that adds some grittiness to the material and ups the intensity just as the instrumentation is starting to reach some of its highest peaks, which works to Blaze of Sorrow’s advantage. While all the lyrics are in Italian, I imagine the screams to capture the journey of the unknown warrior of the cover as there’s a sense of heroism and power behind each verse. It’s not dissimilar to the approach that Peter has utilized throughout the project’s career, but he has a firm grasp on when the vocals should come roaring in and when to pause them to allow the atmosphere from the guitar, bass, and keyboards to build.
Seven albums in, Blaze of Sorrow continues to make meaningful tweaks that enhance their take on atmospheric and folk tinged black metal. The production values result in denser and more powerful arrangements than before, and when the material hits its stride there are some stunning moments that will keep listeners coming back for more. Admittedly it doesn’t end quite as strong as it begins, and I’m still curious to see how the band continues to evolve with this full lineup, but if you have yet to dive into Peter and company’s soaring and powerful black metal this is a great place to start. Vultus Fati is available from Eisenwald.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg