Torchbearers
Verba Serpentis

From their EPK, "they emerged from the shadows of Klagenfurt, Austria, in 2024, conceived by Achlycet and Tenebris as an artistic and spiritual vessel. What began as a dual invocation soon took fuller form with the addition of Malphas and Somnifer, completing a lineup bound not only by sound, but by a shared vision of transcendence through darkness. Rooted in esotericism, serpentine symbolism, and metaphysical ascent, they channel more than mere music. At its core lies a devotion to the pursuit of spiritual awakening - the elevation of the mind into higher spheres through the deliberate harnessing of dark, satanic energies. These forces are not only themes, but currents that flow through their compositions, shaping both sound and meaning into a unified, ritualistic expression."
The album has six songs, and "Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam" is first. Not overly aggressive, the song has a groove to it, as well as some melody in the otherwise dirty, crunchy guitars, and the vocals are harsh but not blood-curling screams. The title track however is faster and more aggressive, but they still wield melody within the confines of their deadly Black Metal. It's just enough to keep the song from descending into the pit of the abyss. "Consciousness" moves slower, and tones of anger and hatred soak into your bones. The guitars are always moving, never standing still, and their intricacies are one of the better parts of the album so far. "Ascension of the Golden Age" is filthy, dirty, and nearly black in scope. They band channels all of their negative feelings like anger, rage, and hatred into this song in the form of a single arrow that could blot out the sun.
"Spheres of Darkness" is the final cut, and again, the guitar work doesn't full the entire backdrop nor do vocals screams outweigh everything else. You can hear riffs clearly, and it also has a depressive sound of sorts. Although only five songs, the band made a strong case for themselves in the modern scene of Black Metal, because they didn't try to out-pace or even out-run other bands by pushing intensity and rage blindly over everything else. Instead, they slowed things down a bit so that you can clearly hear the guitars, the music, and the vocals. I would advise keeping your eyes on this band for the future.
7 / 10
Good
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production

"Torchbearers" Track-listing:
1. Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
2. Ascension of the Golden Age
3. Consciousness
4. Torchbearers
5. Spheres of Darkness
Verba Serpentis Lineup:
Achlycet – Guitar, Vocals
Tenebris – Drums, Backing Vocals
Somnifer – Bass, Backing Vocals
Malphas – Guitar
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