Damnatio Aeterna

01. Damnatio Aeterna02. Miserere03. Get On Your Knees04. Communion05. Indulgentia Plenaria06. Oblivion07. Spiritus Sanctus Diabolicus08. Sanctified09. Mother Of God10. Nightshade11. GehennaWhen bands produce concept albums, it usually denotes one of two things. Firstly, it reveals a huge surge of confidence and self-belief, both in the compulsorily intricate music and in the band’s ability to nail a convincing, flowing narrative. Second, it can also confirm that the band in question are disappearing rapidly up their own assholes. Fortunately, DEATHLESS LEGACY are firmly in the former camp.Increasingly one of Europe’s most compelling metal bands, the Italians have effectively cornered the market in authentic horror metal. Their sound takes the best and darkest elements from gothic and power metal, wraps them in a thick shroud of blasphemy and the opulent trappings of a cracked-mirror Catholic church, allowing all theatrical Hell to break loose to the perpetual tones of a sinister pipe organ. In many ways, DEATHLESS LEGACY are a perfect band: from vocalist Steva’s darkly sexy, octave-scaling charisma, to the timeless, urgent grandeur of the band’s florid arrangements, everything seems to have been custom built for the godless, ghoulish masses. And so “Damnatio Aeterna” slithers from the crypt. The sixth full-length to bear the Italians’ name is an all-out concept album, relating the tale of a demon called Malchrum, who is challenged by Satan to make a priest commit an abominable sin, thus ensuring an eternally fiery fate. Both a classic tale about the nature of evil, and a sturdy dose of blood-drenched schlock, it puts a more straightforward and cinematic spin on the dastardly accounts of occult goings-on that have inhabited much of DEATHLESS LEGACY’s recorded work to date. For those with the goth gene, this could hardly be more perfect.It all starts with a thunderous fanfare, an operatic choir resonating wildly in the foreground and lashing of creepy, KING DIAMOND-esque keyboards, all whipping up a suitably bloody and baroque backdrop for Steva. When she arrives, that addictive and distinctive voice has gained gravitas, while its delivery has become ever more nuanced and sophisticated. The ideal ringmaster for this tumultuous circus, Steva is the thumping human heart at the core of this melodramatic and malicious splurge of ideas, and she is a riveting presence throughout.It certainly helps that DEATHLESS LEGACY have written their greatest songs to date. From the graceful explosions of the opening title track, and the bruised simplicity and symphonic bluster of “Miserere”, to the ghostly ambience and maximalist horror pomp of “Communion”, these songs offer such a gripping subversion of the goth metal norm that it is occasionally hard to imagine any other band doing it better. There is great contrast between the noirish, dungeon waltz of “Get On Your Knees” and the strident, widescreen metal of “Mother Of God” and “Oblivion”, but there is always a powerful sense that we are in DEATHLESS LEGACY’s world, and entirely beholden to their esoteric whims.The story grinds to a deadening halt with “Gehenna”. A triumphant evocation of the lake of fire that will inevitably consume the soul of any passing sinner, it is also an outstanding heavy metal song, rich in textural detail, but bullish, anthemic and fervently committed to planting inescapable melodic seeds. Haunted house organs spiral, Steva commends her fictional charges to the grave, and “Damnation Aeterna” concludes while in a state of diabolical, orchestral fervor. Throw in a pact with the Devil, malevolent nuns, and some of the best, gung-ho horror metal ever recorded, and this would appear to have just about everything going for it.[embedded content]