Ever since their first 2 releases Winterborn and Shadow World, I knew that Wolfheart is something special. Last year they confirmed this with an absolutely crushing showcase of their signature “Winter metal” sound on Tyhjyys, which was one of my personal top albums of 2017 (for the review of that one go here). Apparently this caught the attention of all the right people, because that same year we got the announcement that they got signed by one of the big labels considering heavy music: Napalm Records. Pushing their artists as much as they humanly can for the whole world to see their talent, they clearly motivated Tuomas Saukkonen and his buddies to push out a 4th release about a year and a half later with Constellation Of The Black Light. Let’s see if they continue down their path of brilliant songwriting and damn solid metal songs…

Everlasting Fall kicks off the album with a atmospheric acoustic part that gradually builds up into a melancholic orchestration of movie soundtrack proportions. With this they clearly keep up the awesome orchestration of Tyhjyys, with is a big plus for me. This opening piece somehow calls up the same feelings I had with Insomnium‘s Winter’s Gate, which is another bonus in my book. Once the track really gets heavy, it explodes in brutality with the deep gurgling voice of Tuomas. I don’t know if the dude has been practicing like hell or if it’s just a way better production than before, but I’ve never before heard him sound this much like a beast! Daringly they open with the longest track of the whole album, but it immediately grabs you by the throat with its perfect balance between harsh yet melodic/melancholic death metal and an epic orchestration running along the whole time in the background. What. A. Start!

After that epic and orchestral opener, it needs a bit of a mind-shift when you get blasted by the blackened death metal sound in Breakwater. But once you get into the groove, you’re in for a signature Wolfheart stomper with one of those melodic choruses that I can imagine already being shouted/sang along by crowds all over the world. Towards the end it gradually turns into a more epic and melodic sound with a couple of guitar solos thrown into the mix to lift it to new heights. Their other single The Saw, on the other hand brings in a more midtempo flow with a rather death doom approach adding again that layer of typical Finnish melancholy.

The rest of the album continues to bring that high quality blend of grooving death metal, cold black and doomy elements. None of the other tracks are less good than the 3 I just discussed in detail, and at no time I feel the need to push the “next track” button. Epic orchestrations that form a perfect backline for the perfectly crafted Wolfheart signature sound. Just put on the majestic and magical closer Valkyrie on and let yourself be taken away to a cold winterland by the perfect soundtrack for it. And once you get the physical version of this album in your hands, you’ll notice the upmost care they have put in putting this product together with absolutely stunning artwork.

Wolfheart managed to uphold the quality of their music on Constellation of the Black Light without any doubt. After Tyyhjys, they have really caught their stride and are simply soaring to new heights every day. If they aren’t already firmly positioned as one of the top metal products coming from Finland, they soon will become a staple in anyone’s collection who loves their metal brutal yet beautifully melodic and intricate with a big touch of melancholy!

Release date: September 28th, 2018
Label: Napalm Records
Tracklist:
1. Everlasting Fall
2. Breakwater
3. The Saw
4. Forge With Fire
5. Defender
6. Warfare
7. Valkyrie