Formed during the first year of the pandemic, do IN APHELION bring anything new to the altar of black metal? Well, the answer is firmly yes. it's fair to say that the band wear their influences on their sleeve, with lashing of old school black metal interspersed with thrash and even NWOBHM influences. It's also reasonable to expect the music to be of suitably high quality, given the musicians involved, especially with NECROPHOBIC'S Sebastian Ramstedt at the helm. Their 2020 release "Dawn of the Damned" was a masterful piece of black metal and one that featured highly in many end-of-year lists. Throw in current CRYPTOSIS drummer Marco Priji whose latest release "Bionic Swarm" is another excellent 2021 album and Ramstedt's fellow NECROPHOBIC guitarist Johan Bergebäck and all the ingredients are in place. I'm pleased to report that this savage EP ticks all the boxes.

The forerunner for their forthcoming double album "Moribund", the four tracks contained on "Luciferian Age" provide more than a simple amuse bouche. Opening track "Draugr" demonstrates that whilst darkness dwells deep within their souls, subtle intros can also play a part. That lasts mere seconds before an explosion of flame and fire, searing riffing and croaking vocals. This is majestic black metal which weaves its sinister spell around the listener. Prepare to be enveloped by icy tendrils that slowly tighten their grip. "Draugr" is as pacy as one would expect, thrilling lead breaks which throw plenty of melody into the mix and a watertight rhythm section propel it forward. It simply barrels along, with an underlying hook that is often absent in this genre.

Black metal is often dismissed as a cacophony of noise, the home of the misfit who cannot play their instruments. IN APHELION have no need to prove their worth but regardless, they demonstrate that they are also superb musicians with all four songs on the EP. The title track brings a change of tempo and feel, retaining an underlying groove that demands you nod your head. There is plenty going on here, with the band proving that you don't need to play at 100mph to create the atmosphere necessary for such music.

Yet sometimes it is reasonable to want all the trimmings and in penultimate track "Wrath of a False God" we experience the band in full flight, bringing everything that one would want from such an esteemed collective. It's a rampaging beast, full of visceral delivery and one that races along in a classic frantic style, switching speed and time to bring even more darkness. Add on to these three emotive and crafted songs a faithful and abusive cover of KREATOR'S "Pleasure to Kill" and this becomes an EP that is well worth checking out.

With a quality production delivered by UNLEASHED'S Frederik Folkare, "Luciferian Age" is an EP that maybe provides you with a starter that is more sharing platter than appetiser. The album should be a thing of some beauty.