DEATHLESS LEGACY hailing from Pisa, Italy were formed by vocalist Elonora Steva Vaiana and drummer Frater Orion in 2006 initially as DEATHLESS. After renaming to DEATHLESS LEGACY in 2013, the Heavy Metal outfit released five full-length albums so far. Their sixth release "Mater Lavarum" was mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studios San Marino, and it was recorded at Eden Studios Pisa. The album has a length of more than 51 minutes, and it was released via Italian Heavy, Power, and Thrash Metal specialists Scarlet Records.

The album starts with a short pre-lude by the church organ, before "Ora Pro Nobis" starts powerful and with catchiness in the riffing and the melodies. It is a mid-tempo track played at a nice head-banging rhythm. While the verse parts are direct and aggressive, the chorus parts have a more epic-esque character with a sing-along lyrical chorus line. The vocals are Rock-oriented and cover the medium end of the vocal range. Elonora Steva Vaiana has vocal support in the background by the church choir as it relates to the overall theme of "Ora Pro Nobis". It is a good start to the album, and it is a good live track. "Nightfall" starts with a short guitar intro, before heavy guitar riffing takes over. Supported by the keyboards and the piano, the verse parts are quiet at a measured tempo with some bluesy piano notes. The melodies of the chorus parts are dark, a bit melancholic, and have a few Gothic vibes reminding me on LACUNA COIL. The vocals are the focal point as they guide all the instruments through the track. "Hollow" has a bombastic start including some orchestral arrangements leading into a mid-tempo track. The vocals include a lot of higher notes as well as a few harsh tones. Highlights of the track are the simple but contributing lead guitar solo and the vocals, which lead again expertly through the song.

"Fade Into The Dark" starts with a short piano part that introduces the main melody of the track. The song is driven by the keyboards and the guitars during the verse parts and by heavy guitar riffing during the chorus parts. "Fade Into The Dark" is almost a symphonic Metal track, but it lacks a little bit the catchiness for the chorus parts. "The Coven" has a heavy and dynamic start with the guitar riffing and the drumming. The Metal instruments are supported by symphonic arrangements, which stay in the background. "The Coven" is one of the faster and heavier songs on the album and Elonora Steva Vaiana adapts her vocals perfectly to the sound. The song is direct with a simple verse/chorus structure including a break for the lead guitar solo. "Absolution" starts with a longer instrumental part driven by the guitars and the keyboards and supported by orchestral arrangements. The riffing is tight and heavy. While the verse parts are quiet compared to the voluminous opening part, the chorus parts have cool and catchy melodies at mid-tempo and so has the lead guitar solo. "Absolution" is for me one of the album highlights.

"Moonless Night" starts with powerful guitar riffing for the verse parts, which are supported by the keyboards. The tempo is measured, almost a bit sluggish. The melodies for both, the verse and the chorus parts have the catchiness, but also the darkness to make the song to another album highlight. "Moonless Night" has been released as official video, and the YouTube link is given below. "Queen Of The Infernal Pantheon" starts with heavy and tight riffing and it is another fast song. Elonora Steva Vaiana shows again the versatility of her vocals and leads the track forward. "Queen Of The Infernal Pantheon" is a direct song driven by the guitars with the keyboards supporting the melodies very well, especially during the more quiet verse parts and during the break.

"Altar Of Bones" starts very powerful with the guitars at a stomping rhythm. The verse parts are dark and driven by the riffing, while the keyboards provide a grim atmosphere. Key element are the vocals, which includes a lot of deeper and a few harsh notes. Elonora Steva Vaiana excellently transports a gloomy and mysterious atmosphere to the listeners and that makes "Altar Of Bones" a great song. "Run" is again a fast song where the guitars, bass, drums and keyboards equally contribute to the track. Despite the relatively strong keyboard part, the song has a few Power Metal vibes in particular with the drumming. The album finishes with the title song, and it has an epic and measured start with the guitars and the church choir in the background. "Mater Lavarum" is a slow song with ballad-esque features like the vocals, the guitar riffing during the verse parts, and the lead guitar solo. It has a bombastic sound for most parts of the track with the church choir contributing to the chorus line. Highlight of the song is the vocal contribution of Elonora Steva Vaiana, who has an excellent performance on this track and gives "Mater Lavarum" an extra dimension.

DEATHLESS LEGACY release a very good album. It is a modern Metal album and includes a lot of different genre elements ranging from traditional Heavy Metal to melodic and symphonic Metal. "Mater Lavarum" has a multitude of different layers introduced by the keyboards and it is vocalist Elonora Steva Vaiana, who stamps her authority on the album by keeping excellently the sound together with her versatility and vocal range. "Mater Lavarum" has its very own and unique signature sound and that makes it to a very interesting album to listen to. The album is well produced. DEATHLESS LEGACY deliver arguably one of their best albums to date and a very broad range of Metal fans will surely dig "Mater Lavarum".