Marras - Endtime Sermon (2021)

Unleashing the most impressive Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal release of 2021 (to date), today we have Finland’s Marras and their sophomore release “Endtime Sermon”. Comparable to outfits like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Graveworm (old), etc., this release delivers 44 minutes of lush and yet highly aggressive music. Being far from a copy-cat band, Marras makes the genre their own and creates their own signature style in this crushing release.

Opening with a cinematic intro, “Shadows Upon the Sacred Land” quickly escalates into furious riffing and hellish vocals, first showcasing the aggressive side of the band. We particularly love that the band splits the release into ‘movements’ with a few instrumental/atmospheric interludes as tracks 2,6, 8 and 10. After the first interlude, “Endtime Sermon” returns with a killer mixture of dramatic atmospheric/keyboard arrangements alongside crafty tempo changes, piercing riffs and a mixture of growls and harsh screams.

Delivering highly melodic songs like “From the Last Battleground” and “Gathered to Rule”, the first of them reminding us of Emperor on their “In the Nightside Eclipse” days. Never settling or just doing the same thing over and over, songs like “My Cold Grave” blend doomier and more sinister elements alongside the band’s highly melodic and yet very aggressive core sound. Having a certain old-school vibe, “As Nights Get Darker” is one of our favorite tracks in this release.

Closing with the sinister and imposing “From the Soot of Goahti”, Marras leaves on a very high note with their high-octane style filled with lush symphonic/atmospheric arrangements and balls-to-the-wall aggression. It’s been a while since we have enjoyed a Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal release like this one, and luckily for us, everytime we listen to it again, we find even more new details to enjoy. If you are in the market for punishing and yet highly melodic and atmospheric Black Metal, this is the album to buy in 2021.

Label: Spread Evil Productions

Release: July 9th, 2021

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Finland