AXAMENTA is a Progressive/Melodic/Black Metal band formed in Belgium in 1993. They were active through 2009, and then it looks like they took a hiatus until 2020 and have re-formed. The album here is basically a 23-minute song from start to finish, and it’s hard to tell what the breaking parts are for each song, so as a reviewer, I will treat it like a concept album. It opens slowly and ominously, with strings and other supporting instrumentation. Before long, the earth is released below you and the enormity of the pit is exposed. It’s brooding, heavy, and apocalyptic.

The vocals are harsh at first, and sound like they come from the depths of Hell itself, while the music chugs along with a distinct groove. The clean vocals help to wipe away some of the filth, but not completely. It is bossy, arrogant and aggressive. The supporting piano and guitar parts are also carefully crafted, so they blend in easily with the sound rather than creating a sharp angel or sidebars. From there, there is a constant push and pull between the heavy elements and the more melodic ones, and they are locked in mortal combat for eternity.

The band really has a refined sense of melody as well. The melodic passages are emotionally charged and the background suitably filled, and they also use crescendos frequently, so that the music lives and breathes along the way. Their musicianship is strong, as they expertly duck in and out of ever-shifting passages with a deft sense of timing. I am very glad that this band reformed and created this alum, because it’s a clear winner. Ardent enough for staunch Metalheads, but also delicate enough for those of us who welcome and appreciate melody, the album really has the best of both worlds.