Pestilent Hex - The Ashen Abhorrence (2022)

Unleashing a blistering piece of majestic Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal, today we have newcomers Pestilent Hex. Polished in over five years, this album captures the magic of keyboard driven BM of the 90’s, with similarities to Emperor, Tartaros, Limbonic Art, however, the band manages to sound like something completely different. Be prepared for a dramatic and highly engaging 40-minute experience.

The release opens with the album titled chapter I, which sets a very hectic opening with blistering drumming, furious riffing, and powerful harsh vocals. This track nicely morphs into a very dramatic and intense atmospheric affair with piercing synths and lush piano arrangements. Both “Nature of the Spirit” and “Mephistophelean Liaison” perfectly build up on such a killer opener with tons of dynamic arrangements, dramatic tempo changes, and heaps of emotion and melody, making up for a very powerful first part of this release.

After calming things down with the interlude “Mists of Oneiros”, the band comes back with the best track in this release “Old Hag”. This song creates a very gloomy atmosphere with excellent guitar leads, a slower tempo mixed in with growls and shrieks to create a very older Cradle of Filth meets Emperor blend. Closing with “Banishment”, the band reminds the listener that they can do heavy and direct with a pummeling opening that suddenly morphs into a headbanging anthem with imposing synths and crafty melodies.

As a whole, “The Ashen Abhorrence” is one of those heavy hitting releases that starts with a band and ends in an impressive manner. This is by far one of the most polished debut releases we have heard in quite a while, and certainly will keep Pestilent Hex in our radar in the future. No wonder this is getting released via Debemur Morti.If you like dramatic and engaging keyboard-landen Black Metal grandeur, this album will blow you away from start to finish.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: July 8th, 2022

Genre: Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal

Country: Finland