“Taken on songwriting alone, “The Graves and Ghosts of Yore” is a sterling study in brisk-but-never-busy pacing, conveying energy during the most solemn moments and also pensive during the most up tempo ones; however, not one remotely standard blast beat is to be found. That patient pulse established - at times, suggesting the grander end of the classic Hellenic sound - DEOGEN heave forth mid-range guitars, Demoncy-esque vocals, and both synth and piano at the forefront, the lattermost conveying sorrow, magic, or some bewitching mix of the two depending on the track. The production is astoundingly vintage: again, instilling visions of the above, but more importantly, suiting the songwriting & execution for black metal of this most honorable ilk. Extra points, too, for the tasteful use of pick-slides.”

The album has nine songs, and “Pernicious Prayer” is first. A chilling wind howls in the background over a bed of soft, solemn strings, and tension mounts. Dark clouds on the horizon swell and advance, and it segues to “By Torchlight.” A thick bed of treble guitars roars out of the gates with raging vocals. The “vintage” production is indeed accurate, but it doesn’t leave a lot of room for a more expansive sound with the bass clef dropping off. “Nightfall Premonition” has that classic Black Metal sound, where the key advances a step up, and then drops a step back. It creates a harrowing listening experience. So far, the band delivers a fairly straightforward sound, and although I can pick up on a little background keyboards, they aren’t overly pronounced.

“Of Abominations to Come” is another speedy and aggressive offering, this time with a bit of melancholy melody to flavor the filth of Black Metal. You can also pick up on some piano notes, but I wish there were more. “Clawing into Sphere and Sun” is really the first song with variety up front, and here comes the lovely piano notes. These type of diversions help to break up some of the madness on the album. The riff is also a bit groovy for the genre, and even catchy. “Cataclysm and Deluge” begins with clean guitar tones, but they don’t last long. An aggressive, marching style riff come in and there are more intense vocals. There is more of a discernable patter of sound here than you encounter in most Black Metal. “Spectral Winds Rise” combines the aggression and bite of Black Metal with just enough melody to keep it interesting, but damn, those melodies are dark.

The short instrumental “Echoes of Eternity” closes the album, and it’s the perfect cool down. Thunderheads crackle in the background, while clean and somber tones provide a chilling effect to all of the former hot rage. Overall, this was a solid album. Black Metal can really push the limits of aggressiveness and rage, but sometimes you need pauses to them, and the album does a nice job of balancing both.