DESTILLAT is a Melodic Black/Death Metal band from Germany. Formed in 2016, they have released two EPs to date. "Under Black Horizons" is their debut full-length, and contains seven songs. "Broken Chalice" is the first. The opening tones are dark and aggressive, and the vocals are throaty. The mid-section has some heavy symphonic and melodic elements as well. "Black 47" is a bit longer. It begins with clean, solemn guitars and a slow pace. The main riff enters with some sad melodies, but from there, a harrowing sound takes over. Although there are some nice harmonies in the guitar work, the riffs are a bit trite.

The next song is divided into two parts. Part II oddly enough, followed by Part I. The first part features some melodies underneath the filthy vocals. Sad, desolate tones come into play as well. The second movement begins with gunfire and increasingly tense tones. The vocals are harsh but melancholy at first, as the band ties together the two parts into tone with equal parts anger and despair. Subtle but grandiose as the song moves along, melodies are very well placed in this song. "Black Horizons" features a more bombastic sound out of the gate. Fairly equal doses of guttural vocals combine with screams, giving the song a dual identity. As it moves forward, the desolation grows, as all you can see out the window for days is eternal darkness.

"Last Chapter" begins with bells strikes and an incoming storm. From there, the storm rages with a more traditional Black Metal sound. Thunder claps over your head while torrential rains destroy everything in sight. "Lost Chapter" closes the album. It's an eight-minute opus, beginning with solemn piano notes. From there, a slow and depressing sound permeates your ears. Symphonic and melodic elements abound in this raging closer. The clean female vocals are a bit of a surprise, but they work very well in this gut-wrenching song. Overall, this was an excellent release. The combination of aggression with solemn, memorable tones was outstanding, and the band has a knack with details as well. The background was never thin, and was instead filled with guitar harmonies, melodies, and even some symphonic sounds. I would recommend this for Black Metal fans with a flair for melody.