Pestilent Hex - Sorceries of Sanguine & Shadow (2024)

With great flair and a gusto for the melodic, today we have Finland's Pestilent Hex and their sophomore release “Sorceries of Sanguine & Shadow”. With a sound evoking comparisons to outfits like Limbonic Art, Tartaros, and 90’s Emperor, this outfit delivers seven tracks and over 45 minutes of very crafty and engaging Symphonic Black Metal. Highly recommended for fans of the genre, this release is certainly one of the most bombastic, and yet harsh, of 2024, so don’t sleep on it.

Opening with the cinematic “Nocturne”, the band really shifts into high gear with the pummeling “Sciomancy and Sortilege”, thanks to its crafty atmospherics and fierce vocals. Perfectly leveraging both the symphonic and the Black Metal side of the equation, “Through Mirrors Beyond”, “Of Hexcraft and Lawas Three-fold” set a furious pace filled with incisive guitar work, blistering drumming, and very engaging tempo changes, keeping things fresh and dynamic.

The band’s music also has a great knack for melancholy, as songs like “A Spectral Voyage”, deliver highly melodic riffs and a slower-paced tempo that allows the song to slowly develop as it reaches its catharsis. Our favorite track in this release has to be the mysterious “Threnody of the Moon Ascendant” and its sinister atmospheric passages that create a very haunting and elegant listening experience.

As the release closes with the 10-minute epic “Sanguine Gnosis”, the band introduces Borknagar-esque clean vocal arrangements and a certain folky vibe, giving their sound an additional dimension. Overall, “Sorceries of Sanguine & Shadow” is a very cohesive release that showcases the band consolidating their lively style while introducing a few new elements and delivering expertly crafted songs. Debemur Morti Productions continues to release carefully crafted music and this is certainly one of their finest of 2024.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: November 29th, 2024

Genre: Symphonic Black Metal

Country: Finland