Light the Candle in Honour of Devils

Vaultwraith

From their Facebook page, "deep within the tenebrous bowels of a dark and decrepit castle […]
November 14, 2019
Vaultwraith - Light the Candle in Honour of Devils album cover

From their Facebook page, "deep within the tenebrous bowels of a dark and decrepit castle was it that the black ritual was undertaken. Assembled there were four of the worst sinners this world has ever known, utterly profane and perverse: The Warlock, He of the Blasphemies ... Alucarda Bellows, She of the Devil ... Esteban Walpurgis, He of the Evil Rites ... And Baron Blood, He of the Flesh & Blood. A blood red full moon hanging in the benighted sky, they began the unspeakable ceremony. MERCYFUL FATE and BATHORY albums were offered unto a flaming pyre, as were the celluloid artifacts of Jess Franco and Paul Naschy. Once some esoteric incantations in Latin and Summerian were uttered alongside the spilling of hot sacrificial blood did that loathsome quartet play the notes known but to the most impious and obscene. And it was then, at the foreboding stroke of midnight that the shuddersome fiendish spectre did arise from out of the stygian void...THE VAULTWRAITH! The album contains 12 tracks.

"The Welcoming Flames of Oblivion" leads off the album. It's an instrumental with foreshadowing piano notes and some light symphonic elements. It begins to pick up a bit towards the end with ominous bells. "Accused Sorceress" opens with Black Metal vocals over a bed of steady guitar, bass and drums. It's sort of a combination of Black and Thrash Metal. "Reborn in Charnal Infamy" opens with a slower pace in the guitars and vile vocals. A guitar solo ushers in a s change in the riff, as the drums begin to gallop. "Four Beasts before the Throne" opens with a faster pace, and some Thrashy elements. There isn't a lot of variation from track to track.

"The Devine Butcheress" opens with a lumbering pace and some open chords, reminiscent a bit of BLACK SABBATH. It picks up in the verses with a faster pace, but stays safe by riding those open notes nearly the entire time. "Abess Antichrist" has an easy opening sound, slow and grinding. This time the atmosphere builds into something quite harrowing. I really like the sound here. The ringing of bells adds to this feeling.

"Bethroned to the Wicked" is another mid-tempo song that uses a familiar riff. But the riff changes are noteworthy here because it keeps the song moving forward and not resting on one main sound. "Execution of the Plague Spreader" is a faster moving song, but without much dynamism. The main focus of the songs seems to be on the vocalist, while the riffs stumble around at times...exciting at some moments and boring at others. "Nachtober Necromancy" is the longest song on the album, at over six minutes in length. Solemn twin guitars build an opening harmony. The main riff them comes in, heavy and low in the registry. It's a slow moving track.

"The Morta-Possessed" closes the album. It's chaotic from the start, and then settles into a groove of mostly open notes with little variation. It picks up a bit towards the end but never really gets off the ground. Overall, I found the album to be fairly repetitive and, at times, boring. Many of the songs are slow moving and the riffs too predictable. There were some moments of brilliance but they have to work on that mid-section. The album cover, however, is fantastic. I found some of the songs to my liking but overall, it fell short for me.

5 / 10

Mediocre

Songwriting

5

Musicianship

5

Memorability

3

Production

7
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"Light the Candle in Honour of Devils" Track-listing:

1. The Welcoming Flames of Oblivion
2. Accused Sorceress
3. Reborn in Charnel Infamy
4. Four Beast before the Throne
5. Castle of the Accursed
6. The Devine Butcheress
7. Abess Antichrist
8. All the Black Arts at her Command
9. Bethroned to the Wicked
10. Execution of the Plague Spreader
11. Nachtober Necromancy
12. The Morta-Possessed

Vaultwraith Lineup:

The Warlock
Alucarda Bellows
Esteban Walpurgis
Baron Belial

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