vote
7.5
- Bands:
BARON - Duration: 00:44:21
- Available from: 04/26/2024
- Label:
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Transcending Obscurity
Finnish band Baron make their thunderous entry into the European death metal scene with their first album, “Beneath The Blazing Abyss”, released under the aegis of the prolific Transcending Obscurity Records, increasingly active in the field of extreme metal year after year.
After having impressed with three demos, the Helsinki band now tries its hand at a complete work that is able to capture the attention of fans of the two most prolific worlds in recent times: death and doom metal.
“Beneath The Blazing Abyss” presents a brilliant fusion between these two styles: in the fastest and most furious moments, Baron embody the essence of death metal with tight riffs and pressing rhythms, following the moves of the new Texan wave; however, it is in the slower moments that the band reveals a different dimension of their sound, characterized by majestic leaden atmospheres.
This ability to transition occurs without compromising the power and grandeur of their sound, with fluid passages that culminate in moments of pure intensity: “Infernal Atonement” rotates very well in terms of dynamics and “At The Dawn Of Damnation” evokes atmospheres similar to those of “Emptiness” by Gatecreeper. However, “Bound To The Funeral Pyres” turns out to be the album’s weak point, due to the atmospheric sections that leave an impression of incompleteness, while “Hands Of Sin” raises the album’s fortunes with its tight and engaging rhythm , along with the closing “Swallowed By Fire Beneath,” an atmospheric synthesizer outro, leaves a bitter aftertaste for its perhaps not-so-wise conclusion. In every mood, the album’s production is supermodern and forms a robust and crystalline.
Furthermore, the technical performance of the vocal cords is close to perfection, maintaining an absolutely enviable coherence and strength throughout the album. The Barons demonstrate a precise mastery of the two extreme spheres, with influences that recall the best traditions of both styles. However, some tracks may feel slightly wordy in terms of songwriting, and at certain moments, the slower sections sound anonymous.
In conclusion, “Beneath The Blazing Abyss” is a debut that is promoted with a good margin. The Finnish formation shows excellent technical mastery and an ability to create overall enthralling and clear songs. Despite some minor flaws, the album is a solid addition to the extreme metal scene and testifies to the emerging talent of the Scandinavian band.
