In extreme Metal genres, there are moments that aggressiveness and/or brutality meet the concept of beauty, with a form of music that can sound oppressive and nasty, but beautiful at the same time. Of course such formats aren't so new, because many bands did (are still do) their musical works in this way. And the Belgian trio THRONUM VRONDOR knows exactly these words above mean, as their third album, "Ichor (The Rebellion)", is here to proove.

The trio creates something that sounds like the bands from the SWOBM from the 90's, unleashing a darkened musical wrath upon the listeners, but their work is adorned with morbid melodies and melancholic atmospheres in many moments (even some clean vocals parts can be heard in the middle of the harsh tunes, as heard on "Doom Upon Doom..."). It's not really new at all, but the insight used by the trio is extremely particular, something that they do and belongs to them, and can't be heard on other band. The album recorded, mixed and mastered by the band's vocalist, SvN, who did a good work, balancing the morbid melodies with the right doses of musical aggressiveness, weight, and that essential touch of rawness that a Black Metal band in this way must bear on its works.

The band shows a great work on "Ichor (The Rebellion)", showing nine very good songs where influences from Norwegian and earlier German Black Metal can be felt. But the raw and brutal impact of "A Symbol of Acrimony" (excellent contrasts between harsh and fast moments with introspective melodic ones, where the melodies can be heard), the fast and charming rhythm of "Ceremony of Atonement" (very good grunts, indeed), "Ichor (The Rebellion)" with its somber keyboard parts that blends with technical guitar riffs, the thundering and aggressive tempos of "Diety" (fine bass guitar and drums work), and the very good clean voices parts of "Vision of the Seven Tombs" can be said as their finest moments during the album.

"Ichor (The Rebellion)" is a very good work, showing that Black Metal still has a lot to offer to its fans. And THRONUM VRONDOR is a great name on the genre!