Year: 2020
Total Time: 46:40
Label: Aural Music
On the one hand we have the mainstream “satanic” side with commercial juggernauts GHOST and on the other hand ” the poor but honest children of Christ”, bands like ECCLESIA and WYTCH HAZEL with new albums out respectively. Between these two “camps”, who “sells” more or less we all know it, but we will not comment on this phenomenon, despite the fact that this “Christian” band from France managed and created one of the most passionate discs of the year.
Based mainly on Doom patterns from the “fathers” CANDLEMASS and SOLITUDE AETURNUS in combination with the Power/Progressive lyricism of FATES WARNING and PSYCHOTIC WALTZ, ECCLESIA redefines today’s Doom sound with all this inexhaustible inspiration throughout its duration. The sound of the album is dense and heavy and the compositions, although based on Doom norms, have a fast pace and a positive sense of vitality and optimism.
The addition of the retro church organ to the compositions is definitely a plus for the band, something that will make them stand out from the majority of their peers with this delicate touch. The first full album of the French (formed in 2016) is obviously themed for the Catholic Church, as evidently displayed from the intriguing cover that catches the eye immediately, to their name and song titles. The VENOM cover at “Don’t Burn The Witch” is amazing, while the 39:10 point in “God’s Trila”, which resembles like the main riff of IMMORTAL’s “Withstand the Fall of Time”, invites you to come back and listen to it again and again. A clear and undeniable proof hat everything has a correlation with each other in the end.
So an addictive and coherent work, “tailored” we would say to the measurements of Mats Leven and Ray Alder, but with very good vocals nevertheless by Frater Arnhwald. A tribute album more to the U.S. Power Doom Metal scene but based on solid CANDLEMASS foundations with compact sound full of inspiring compositions. Good luck to the French “Catholics” for the “transmigration” and the “evangelism in the universe” of this kind of metal they play!
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Nikos Mathiopoulos
Website: ECCLESIA – Bandcamp Page
