The end of May is close at hand but this was just the silence before the storm. The next two weeks are bursting at the seams with highly anticipated metal releases by veterans and newcomers alike. For now, here is what this past week brought with it.
Bethlehem – Lebe Dich Leer
German Bethlehem are regarded for their genre-coining Dark Metal and its demented follow-up Dictius te Necare. After a series of albums that wasn’t met with much euphoria by fans, the band returned to their virtues on their aptly self-titled album in 2016. With Lebe Dich Leer, Bethlehem now continue to forge onwards with this newfound awareness for their strengths. With more prominent lead melodies and atmospheric electronics, Lebe Dich Leer is a slightly more “conventional” affair than its predecessor.
Délétère – Theovorator: Babelis Testamentum
Quebecois Délétère weren’t exactly new to the scene when De Horae Leprae garnered them both well-deserved praise and attention in 2018. With their EP Theovorator: Babelis Testamentum Délétère contribute another entry to the popular “medieval black metal” style. Overwhelming organ tapestries and melodic guitar melodies invoke the dark atmosphere of ages past once again. Where De Horae Leprae overstayed its welcome with a runtime of over 60 minutes despite being a formidable album Theovorator is a pleasantly quick fix.
Firelink – The Inveterate Fire
Rounding out this issue of Metal in May, Firelink make their debut with The Inveterate Fire. This american duo presents a Dark Souls themed album that shines grossly incandescent with tried-and-true melodic death metal riffing and strong atmospheric sensibilities. The unforgiving world of the Souls franchise makes for a logical theme in metal and, later this month, Visigoth are also going to release a Dark Souls themed EP with Bells of Awakening.