Emperor of Hell - Canto XXXIV

The road less travelled is often the most advantageous for the truly dedicated artist, and in a metal context, the merger of power and doom metal is about as rare as they come. Though often times this merger can lead to something that bears a strong resemblance to some of the murkier material to come out of Nevermore during the early 2000s, every once in a while something truly breaks the mold and builds off the legacy originally established by Candlemass in riding the epic wave while still sticking close to the dirge-like roots of the style. This is territory that is reserved to a certain Italian project that has been flying under the radar since the late 2000s dubbed In Aevum Agere, but lately they've been in the business of putting forward some truly ambitious works that will undoubtedly make the metal masses' heads perk up and take notice, and their latest LP Emperor Of Hell - Canto XXXIV is definitely one for the ages.

Based on select passages from the first part of Dante's The Divine Comedy, namely the Inferno section, this album presents an exploration of the merger between the monstrosities of Greek mythology and the otherworldly mystique of the Roman Catholic church in a conceptual package that rivals Iced Earth's mid-90s exploration in terms of impact, and also slightly edges it out from the standpoint of creating a truly vivid aesthetic homage to the source material. The doom half of the musical equation is accomplished primarily in terms of the dankness of the atmosphere and a lingering sense of slowness, albeit one that has been obscured by a flood of double kick work by drummer Claudio Del Monaco, who could easily rival any thrash or death metal drummer in creating a chaotic backdrop for the rest of the arrangement, though the velocity of the snare hits and the general ebb and flow of the beats retains a more coasting character. But the real magic surrounding this arrangement is the shred-intensive guitar soloing and perfect amalgamation of Messiah Marcolin and Geoff Tate accomplished by helmsman Bruno Masulli.

Song for song, this riveting opus just continues to outdo itself at every turn, with each chapter dedicated to Dante's and Virgil's journey through hell being capable of standing as its own undisputed classic number despite being ordered in a very programmatic fashion. The length and scope of each entry varies a fair bit, but how one would select a standout moment relies heavily on whether one seeks an extended epic foray into sorrowful darkness with a screaming virtuosic guitar display filtering in and out, or a more compact banger that carries most of the same elements. The opening crusher "Emperor Of Hell" is arguably the closest that this album gets to wandering into Nevermore territory, largely due to the mixture of operatic vocals and distorted mutterings that give things more of a modern, mechanistic character. On the other hand, equally ambitious yet more measured beasts like "City Of Dis" and "The Straight Path Was Lost" have more of an organic and melodic bent to them that fits more comfortably into the Candlemass template. But for those who want the best of both worlds in a more easily digestible package, "Sorrowful Goodbye" clearly steals the show.

No self-respecting metal trustee, let alone one immersed in the slow and sullen world of doom metal should be ignorant of this album, though sadly given the band's ongoing obscure status, that is likely the eventuality that afflicts most of said crowd. From start to finish, this is the album that takes all of the best elements of two of the arguably most disparate sub-groups within the metal paradigm and brews them together into an unstoppable force of utter brilliance. It's basically the sort of album that could trade blows with undeniable classics like Ancient Dreams and Tales From Creation, as well as newer diamonds in the rough with less notoriety like Heathendom's obscure debut LP Nescience. Even those who don't normally swim in the waters of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus and prefer more of a USPM vibe after the mold of Steel Prophet or Helstar will find something that will fit in nicely with their preferred brand of power. If metal truly is the way to hell, then one would do well to pay tribute to this particular emperor before making the final plunge.