Secrets of the Moon – Seven Bells (2012)

After releasing three EP’s since their last full-length release back in 2009, today we finally have Secrets of the Moon releasing another full-length release under the title of “Seven Bells”. In this release, the band delivers seven (duh) tracks of brilliantly crafted Black Metal that is very characteristic of the band and will never bore you.

With its typical dark atmosphere, Secrets of the Moon nicely builds up momentum in the crushing opening track “Seven Bells”. The creepy bell sounds are excellent and the riffing is very powerful and direct, all this while the vocals are as hellish as always and the overall melodic nature of the music is outstanding. With a more direct approach, “Goathead” blasts away since the opening notes and steps up the pace to full-blown Armageddon. Again, the atmospheric parts are downright chilling and the slow building during the last few minutes of the track is just outstanding.

“Serpent Messiah” and its demonic melodic riffing is one of the best songs in this release due to the magical atmosphere created. Without being overly ‘traditional’ the band delivers waves of Black Metal sounds that are completely different to what the masses produce, and this is what differentiates Secrets of the Moon from the rest. The layered vocals add that extra touch to this song to elevate to a whole new level. The most ‘traditional’ track in this release has to be “Blood Into Wine”, a song that has Watain written all over it.

Featuring some Doom influences, the slow and painful “Worship” and “Nyx” are our favorite tracks of this release. With perfectly crafted slow sections and hectic speed ups, these songs are some of the most diverse and engaging tracks of this release. “Nyx” has that very emotional component to it that it is beautifully concluded with the atmospheric keyboards at the end.

Winding down this release, the monolithic 12 minute epic “The Three Beggars” really closes this album with style. Providing a nice summary of what the whole album was about, this track features excellent tempo changes and eerie atmospheric passages. The bottom line is that if you are a fan of the band, “Seven Bells” will surely impress you and make you want more. The band has surpassed themselves in every single department and has created a very unique and powerful release that can’t be missed by any Metal fan.

Release: March 16th, 2012 (Europe) / April 10th, 2012 (North America)

Country: Germany