Brutal Death Metal band GATHERING DARKNESS formed in Spain in 1998. Following a few demo releases early on, they released their first full-length "Beholders of the Pain Planet" in 2005. Between then and now, they also released an EP and a Split...and now present their second full-length "The Heat of a Dying Sun" here in 2017, which contains nine new tracks. "Infernus Terra Est" is the opening four-minute track. The sound is deep, dark and aggressive, and the Death vocals register low for the most part, thick and full, and shake the ground beneath them. The pace is mid-tempo, and there are plenty of riff changes to keep things interesting. As if often the case in this genre, the drumming of Jhaldreen is demanding and super-charged. "A World Within Us (Post Human World)" has cascading guitar riffs that work in a tight unison with the bass guitar. It's a depressive track that steals all that is pure and soddens it with pestilence and decay.

"The Light Won't Save You" is a three minute scorcher, igniting a path of flames that burns out of control. The vocals here are gut-wrenching...abysmal in their deepness. The whole of the track reverberates with all that is maleficent. The title track, "The Heat of a Dying Sun," is ample and fleshy, with some nimble lead guitar work that follows the key quite nicely. Though there is nothing sheeny about the sound, there are some discernable melody patterns among the chaos which are easy to follow. The throaty scream at the end is a nice touch as well. "I'm the Weapon (But You're the Killer)" has a lumbering pace and is kept in the most subjacent range possible to let necrosis seep in and eat away your flesh. "The Fall of All your Gods" is just a hair under three minutes. The demoralized message is well taken, a subject often dealt with in the Metal genre, and the Death Metal genre especially. Don't look for your Gods to provide you solace here.

"The Nihilist Manifest" is a creed of skepticism. The lead guitar breaks are harrowing and the echo they make is an added effect to the brutal nature of the music here. The guitar work is strong as well, a riff-driven song of anger and non-conformity. "Blood of our Enemy" has some accelerated pacing at times, while at other times is a slower grind, taking its time to crush you with its weight and aggression. The vocals vary here between some blood-curling extended notes and some ruffled growls that could wake the dead. "The Darkness that Dwells Inside Me" is the closing song. They use a few differing techniques to pummel you into submission, including some variations in riffing and vocals that reflect the blackness that lies within your soul.

Death Metal is a genre that has been around for a long time. I've always maintained that the genre boundaries are so narrow that it's difficult to find new bands with a sound that you haven't heard before. Though GATHERING DARKNESS is not new to the game, this is their first full-length in over 12 years and a lot has changed in that time. "The Heat of a Dying Sun" is a good album in the genre that has many of the traditional elements that purists will be looking for, but also contains a good amount of the band's individual style as well. This slab of stick-to-your-ribs Death Metal is grounded, weighted and energetic enough to get your blood pumping for sure.