From Bandcamp, “STARLIT PYRE is a Melodic Death Metal quintet from Bordeaux, France, formed in 2024 by former guitarist of the band TEMNEIN. The debut EP, “Veins of Sulfur,” will be out on July 11th, 2025. Produced at Conkrete Studio. Visuals by Ani Artworks. The band is influenced by the classics of the genre. The EP here has four songs, and “Empire’s Downfall” is first. It has hardened, firm, and aggressive edges to it, and harsh vocals. They hit the gas pedal, hold their foot down, and don’t let up. There are bits of melody, especially in the chorus, keeping with the traditions of the genre.

“Solar Rays” begins with the other side of the storied genre…melody. The aggression is still there, but the melodies smooth it out. The chorus might be the best part of the song, because the melodies are infectious, and catchy. The title track is a bit slower, but no less intense, or aggressive. They lay on the catchy riff, and drive it home, down your throat. There are also some nice lead breaks, to compliment the riffs. “On m Own” is the final cut. It has a low, slow, and contentious riff with more harsh vocals. Much of the melody comes from lead breaks that carry the sound forward.

This was a promising EP from a new player from France in the Melodic Death Metal genre, and there is still a lot to discover. In this genre, you can add clean vocals, keyboards, and other elements, or you can just keep things more traditional without clean vocals or other things to take away from its purity. STARLIT PYRE have taken the second, more traditional path.