EBONY PENDANT might still be lurking in the shadows of the USBM scene, but make no mistake—this beast is stirring, and its roar is getting harder to ignore. Their debut, „Incantation of Eschatological Mysticism,“ gave us a tantalizing glimpse of the chaos they’re capable of. They unleashed their second self-titled album, and it’s nothing short of a grim masterpiece that stands toe-to-toe with its predecessor.
From the very first moments of „Ichor Drenches My Athame,“ EBONY PENDANT grabs you by the throat and drags you into the abyss. The guitars are a frostbitten assault, dripping with raw, cold malice. Yet, within those relentless riffs lies a deep, melancholic undercurrent—a tragic, emotional weight that cuts through the noise and carves itself into your psyche. The drumming, pounds out blastbeats like drums of some ancient, cursed legion. The mix is rough, but that only amplifies the album’s vicious, frigid atmosphere. Even the bass, though somewhat buried, lays down a thick, menacing foundation that trembles beneath the onslaught. „Ichor Drenches My Athame“ is just the beginning; tracks like „Immortal Son of Damnation“ and „Whispers of a Nameless Fear“ take that emotional desolation to new heights, delivering atmospheres so crushing, they leave you in nostalgic mood. And let’s not forget the eerie interludes like „A Castle in the Woods,“ where acoustic and dungeon synth elements weave a haunting spell between the metal mayhem. Yes, this album worships at the altar of 90s Black Metal, but it does so with a strong grace.
And those vocals! They’re gnarly in the best possible way, seething with the kind of high-pitched, blood-curdling shrieks that are the lifeblood of Black Metal. Sure, they might lean into the genre’s well-worn tropes, but who cares? They meld perfectly with the savage instrumental backdrop, particularly on tracks like „He, Who Casts Long Shadows,“ where the shrieks pierce through the blazing riffs and manic drumming like a knife in the dark. The vocals might be a bit run-of-the-mill on their own, but within the seething cauldron of sound that is this album, they are nothing short of spine-chilling.
No, this self-titled album isn’t rewriting the Black Metal rulebook, but why the hell should it? Sometimes, following the tried-and-true path is exactly what’s needed, and EBONY PENDANT does it with the precision of a ritual sacrifice. The guitars slice, the drums rumble, and the vocals shriek like tortured ghosts.
Labels: ASRAR / Åon Records / 2023