From Bandcamp, LUNAR SPELLS is a Greek Black Metal band formed in Athens in 2020, by Cryptic (guitar, vocals, synths), K.C.H (bass) and V.T (drums). Both musically and lyrically, they stay close to the roots of Scandinavian "old school" Black Metal. Lyrical subjects thus often deal with darkness, depression, misanthropy, and hate. Their newest album is presented here, titled "The Demise of Heaven," which contains six tracks.

"Nocturnal Flames Above the Sacred Trinity" is the first. What strikes me off the bat is the overly trebly production, and liberal use of old school organ for keyboards. As if often common in the genre, the guitars and vocals provide much of the sound. Towards the end, some depressing cleans come in. "Drowning in Sulphurous Blood" begins with a slower groove but then picks back up to the heavy guitar sound, machine-gun drumming, and vocal screams/shrieks. For just a moment, the bass, which has been nearly mixed out, comes in with a few notes. "Aversion to Theurgy" is another burner with heavy guitar presence. Three tracks in, and the songs sound nearly the same. The guitar work is fairly intricate but not really overly musical.

"Ejaculate the Masses of Holiness" is a title that really says it all. But, the song could be a continuation of the previous one, as it is nearly the same pace. Some of those old school organ notes accompany the heavy guitars. "Damnation of the Heavenly Sun" begins with a slower groove, but the vocals and guitars still dominate the sound. It stays pretty steady throughout the song, until a slow down at the end, like in the beginning. "Ceremonial Oath of Sanctified Profanation" closes the album. Unfortunately, it's more of the same. I can't necessarily complain about the sound, but I can surely complain that we have six tracks of the same song over and over again.

Any way you slice it, this is old school Black Metal, akin to the forefathers of the genre. Northern Silence is one label that typically doesn't follow trends, so I am somewhat surprised to find a FWOBM clone on their label. Oh well, the bottom line here is that you would not be missing anything if you skipped this album.Purchase Link:

https://lunarspells-northernsilence.bandcamp.com/