DANTALION is a black metal band from Spain, who formed in 2004. Their latest album, “Fatum,” is their 9th full-length album; they have also released a demo and a compilation. I haven’t heard everything in their sizable discography yet but I’ve heard enough to know the band has a love for playing both black and doom metal. They tend to switch back and forth between the styles, or even combining them at times, so it isn’t always clear what the listener will get with them. “Fatum,” tends to ride the line between the two styles, oftentimes in the same song. Despite that, it doesn’t sound wayward or aimless to me. A large reason for that, other than the excellent songwriting, is the production which stays pretty even with its morose, depressed atmosphere. I actually find the album’s sound quite gripping.

The band is blazing, lighting flashing through the sky one minute and the next they make me want to sit in the corner and have a good cry as their slow tempos slowly kill me. I like this dynamic and I can tell the band does too, as they sound confident and fired up. The album opens with “Great Funeral of Dawn,” and it’s a fitting song to introduce this album with. It starts slow and atmospheric, almost gentle. The doom tempo rolls out like flowers growing in a graveyard, pushing its way through the underbelly of the earth. Around the 1:34 mark, the decayed approach is dropped for straight up blackened fury. The vocals are pained, desperate as if they are gasping for their final breath but definite all the way unto the end. My favorite part begins at 3:27 where the song turns oddly melodic and morbidly interesting; it’s beautiful in a sordid way.

“Qayin Dominor Tumulus,” is another shining example of the album’s overall sound. The raw vocals shout out over the despondent music. The vocals switch to a low, gravel infused crawl that sounds like dying might be a relief. Once again, I find the music to be very moving despite being broken and dark—but it’s their combination of doom and black metal that makes their sound so engaging. The middle of the song sees the band traveling more aggressive waters, sailing to the edge of nighttime shores where they meet melody and mesh into one sound that washes over. The song ends on an aggressive note, the band escaping the dourness of the previous passage.

“Hades Vision,” is one of my favorites on the album. The clean instruments at the beginning are a nice touch but the vocals and guitar melodies really grabbed me; they sound so different yet so similar, offering a different take on bleakness. At the 3:38 mark, the music switches gears as the drums send the song barreling towards finality. The final song, “Sounds of Bells and Open Scissors,” is an emotionally visceral mini-dirge that rips out whatever is left of your nerves, cuts them into pieces, and shoves them back in. It’s gripping, urgent, and desolate….a strong ending.

All in all DANTALION’s “Fatum” is a tortuous journey through utter darkness. It stabs and beats you along the way, not even offering more than the briefest respite. If this is your type of music (and if not, it needs to be) this is an album that if you missed last year, might as well jump in now and embrace the sweet, sweet misery.