From their EPK, ARAN ANGMAR is an international Black Metal band formed in 2020 by guitarist Stavros B. “Ordo Diabolicum” explores darkness not as a void but as a realm where truth reveals itself, boundaries shatter, and human freedom emerges. A sonic descent where chaos reveals liberation. A Black Metal ritual. It was mixed and mastered by Psychon (SEPTICFLESH) at Sound Abuse Production. The cover art was made by Stefan Todorovic (Khaos Diktator Designs). The album has eight songs.

“Dungeons of the Damned” is first. Out of the gates is a heavy, powerful sound with a steady riff and harsh vocals. To me, it sounds like an army of the dead ready to march out of Hell and take over the world. But the sound is not without melody either. “Aeon Ablaze” begins with atmosphere and clean vocal utterings that sound like desperate pleas and the riff that follows is another powerful and commanding one. “Hêlēl ben-Šaḥar” has gentler tones, as well as a good deal of melody, and the band is showing their versatile songwriting hands. The riff that follows is yet another heavy, weighted affair, with harsh vocals that sound like they are coming from the very bowels of the earth.

“Crown of the Gods” has some Doom elements, but they are like the kind that makes your stomach ache when you discover the identity of the person who will rule your lands. “Chariots of Death” begins with clean, solemn guitars, but that feeling that something is lurking around the corner. What comes out of the shadows is a massive beast that has razor sharp claws, gnarled, gnashing teeth, and flames for wings. “Primordial Fire” features some folk instruments, and the band does not seem amiss on bringing other instruments to the table. The power and aggressiveness are still there, but they are tempered a bit.

“Vae Victis” closes the album, and it ends with a warning of sorts and ominous premonitions. The music is firm but solemn, and the vocals are even-keeled and commanding. At its core, this is indeed Black Metal, but the band also infuses other elements into the music to keep it modern and exciting, and they don’t rely on old formulas from the past. I applaud this direction, and the album is bold, powerful, and aggressive in equal doses.