Alghazanth – The Three-faced Pilgrim (2013)

Arriving from the most powerful Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal band from Finland, today we have “The Three-faced Pilgrim”. Featuring six tracks of majestic BM filled with crushing guitars and eerie atmospheric elements, Alghazanth continues to improve upon their legacy with another masterful release. Bearing a few line-up adjustments, the band keeps their lush Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal in place with some of the most exciting songs we have heard in 2013.

Opening with the devastating “In Your Midnight Orchard”, we have a raw BM with awesome atmospheric highlights. The band has been perfecting their craft for a few years now, and with this release they take it to a whole new level of brutality. Just picture Horna with keyboards and Alghazanth is what you get. The melodic riffing is another aspect of the band that shows their true craft when it comes to songs like “To The Pear of High” and “Promethean Permutation”, both filled with excellent melodic riffs that seamlessly change tempos between aggressive and hyper-blast mode.

“AdraMelekTaus” is one of our favorite songs in this release thanks to its devastating bass guitar line and hyper-active drums. The band’s sheer brutality is very well shown in this track, and so are the creepy atmospheric keyboards. Using acoustic guitars on tracks like “As It Is Fated”, really propel the band’s diverse sound to incomparable heights. Closing the album with a track with a familiar rhythm, “Witch Sickle, With Scythe”, puts the last very impressive nail on this coffin filled with aggression and perfection.

When it comes to Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal, there are very few bands that can parallel to Alghazanth. On “The Three-faced Pilgrim” the band further refines their formula for success while not getting boring or ever slowing down. If you like any of the band’s earlier releases, be prepared to be blown away by the sheer brutality and think atmosphere of this one.

Label: Woodcut Records

Release: December 13th, 2013

Genre: Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal

Country: Finland