Musically, the new songs seem to take their inspiration from the core of black metal with a heavy emphasis on the melodic spectrum. The opening track ‘In The Eye of Heaven’ somehow resembles the melodic style of Unanimated. The guitars create a frigid atmosphere, moving from the fast-paced drums to the melodramatic thrill flourishing into a mid-paced tempo and further cementing their influences. From the opening moments of the album’s title track, the drum beat gallops and the guitars become infused with sharp piercing tremolo picked-riffs and the swift drum paces are pervaded with a sense of zeal.

Needless to say that the guitar riffs are powerful bursting into straight-up black metal fast tempos, while simultaneously the drums possess enough flexibility and pummeling your ears with swift blast beats. The acoustic passages are well placed in the tracks as they add to the ambiance atmosphere, but the overall composition burrows from Dissection. The invigorating performance of the drums brings lots of energy to the songs with the raspy vocals of Steffen Kummerer (Obscura) and the rapid-fire approach of the drums bringing plenty of aggression. The guitars are on full display, erupting into fiery tempos. In spite of the sudden shifts to blast beats Thulcandra focuses on mid-paced tempos. The approach of the riffing makes it unique. Albeit fast, at times you will be stunned by the well-crafted riffs on ‘On The Wings of Cosmic Fire’.

Galloping blackened guitars and raspy vocals build layers of melodic tremolo picking. Despite the Swedish influences Thulcandra has developed its own sound. Kudos to the natural cohesion and the songwriting of the individuals, we have a fully matured band. The strong inclinations to the aesthetics of Dissection are rather brilliantly showcased in ‘Acheronian Cult’. The track begins with an icy acoustic guitar intro and deep raspy whispers that builds into a tremendous heavy blackened death metal pace. Raw electrifying riffs accompanied by double bass. Although the riffing in this album is less catchy, there’s definitely no question about the unrelenting rawness that the guitars and the drums bring.

The track also contains some powerful riffage infused with cold tremolo lines and rhythm guitars. There are some acoustic guitar insertions that keep the subtle melodies enthralling, especially in the mid-tempo passages, hence creating a darker vibe. ‘As I Walk Through the Gateway’ is the highlight of the album and my personal favorite song. Once the track begins, the guitar bursts into a full fast-paced direction unleashing flurries of tremolo picked-riffs. With the kind of epic melodies transporting you into the frosty landscapes, the superior skills of Steffen Kummerer find himself mused by the Scandinavian aesthetics. While the flawless atmosphere of the scathing riffs moves at the speed of the galloping drums, the sonic viciousness of the composition offers some beautiful, somber moments.

In its essence ‘Hail The Abyss’ is saturated with blackened death metal riffs. Even though the acoustic guitar passages are scattered throughout the run time of fifty-nine minutes, there are some subtle keyboards enhancing the fiery tempos. ‘Blood of Slaves’ is another personal favorite which offers powerful blast beats and relentless aggression. The strong musicianship and the melodic elements add beautiful layers of tremolos that give way to somber hues in the overall atmosphere. Epic and simultaneously raw, Thulcandra strides straight into a blistering mid-paced sound. Despite the changes in the songwriting, this time the melodies are embedded into the song structure, creating some icy atmosphere on the instrumental track ‘In Darkness We Descend’, leading to the album’s later track ‘The Final Closure’.

This also begins in a melodramatic and epic style that outshines the somber guitar strings, hence building some of the most epic moments of this album. The memorable guitar lines perfectly intertwine and weave a dark melodic atmosphere. The superb transition to mid-paced tempo combines dark raspy vocals and heavy guitar chugs. The rhythmic quality of the guitars and the percussion brings an exquisite balance to this epic track and builds up a frigid cold aura, showcasing the menacing, melodic patterns.

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