ALBUM REVIEW: Horrified - "Allure of the Fallen"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/09/2017

Label: Shadow Kingdom Records

Over its six tracks, “Allure of The Fallen” proves itself to be a record of originality and darkness- a most unusual record to fall under the death metal genre banner and one that is sure to have listeners converted to the band's sound and style.

“Allure of The Fallen”CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Allure Of The Fallen
2. Light’s Dissolution
3. The Perceiver
4. Unanswered
5. Shorn
6. The Promise Of Solace

The Review:

Newcastle's Horrified return with another full blooded slice of epic death, mixed with blackened melodies. The band have quite a work rate, being as this full length comes only a year after the last. Now on the stronghold label of all things metal, Shadow Kingdom, the band are able to capitalise on their hard work with proper distribution and promotion. Six tracks, with only one dipping below six minutes means that each song covers a lot of ground. The opening title track sets the tone and I have to say, I liked it immediately. It's dark and deadly with some spiked melodies in the guitar work.

This is not a brutal “never-ending-blast-beat” type album; rather it is an exercise in dynamics and atmosphere as much as an exercise in extremity. “Light's Dissolution”, in all honesty, would fit into any Dissection album you can care to name and the band alternate tempos and riffs with superb dexterity. By the time of “The Perceiver”, the album template is set: roaming bass work, surprisingly effective guitar melodies and solid drumming in the old school style. The vocals of Daniel Alderson fit into the “howl from the depths of a cave” variety and work very well- reverb drenched and set not too high in the mix.

Some clean and dark guitar tones start off “Unanswered”as the band experiment with mood (still as black as pitch, mind) and texture. Make no mistake, this is not death metal in the Florida or even Swedish style, but is instead an amalgum of the darker sounds of death and black metal from the previous 30 or so years of the genres. Likewise, “Shorn” switches gears and pace downwards for a sub six minutes slow trawl of unchartered waters.

The poetically titled “The Promise of Solace”closes the record with close to ten minutes of bleakness; grinding riffage, some unusual tempos and anguished vocals are the order of the day here. Over its six tracks, “Allure of The Fallen” proves itself to be a record of originality and darkness- a most unusual record to fall under the death metal genre banner and one that is sure to have listeners converted to the band's sound and style.

“Allure of the Fallen”is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook