Ancient Doom Metal

It has been almost 30 years since the release of Will of Gods Is a Great Power and the tragic passing of Agyl, the voice of Scald. The world has changed drastically since then; with internet access becoming such a widespread phenomenon, music fans have been able to both share and unearth ancient goodies, which led to old, forgotten bands becoming more popular than ever, with both old and new fans (re-)discovering their material and an ever-increasing demand for reformations, reissues, etc. that didn't go unnoticed by artists and labels. Unsurprisingly, the legacy of Scald has steadily and inevitably grown over time and such interest has led the band to reform in 2019 featuring every original member and new vocalist Felipe Plaza Kutzbach. Up until earlier this year, I actually had no idea the band were active again. I mean, yes, it says on the band status that they're ACTIVE but I kind of just assumed they played a handful of shows and that was about it. The news of a new album caught me completely by surprise, a pleasant one at that but not without my fears: would they be able to recapture the magic of their debut and write new, passionate material or would we be getting new songs just for the sake of it?

Fortunately for us, the band make a triumphant return and deliver killer performances. It's not perfect (I'll get to that), but any fan of the genre, old or new, should find something to enjoy here. The band's development actually reminds me of Dawn, the Swedish melodic black metal band, which were obviously surrounded by a completely different context but nonetheless had a similar evolution. Both had an honest, organic debut record with plenty of atmosphere but on their sophomore both expanded their melodic palette and made it deliberately more epic and grand. That is not to say it sounds "forced", however it becomes a bit of a one-trick-pony, who, rest assured, does it with enough conviction, heart and talent to warrant a spot in any fan's music collection. Scald had a unique sound which makes this a worthwhile record by default.

To address the elephant in the room: how does the new vocalist sound? I'll start by saying if you're expecting to hear Agyl 2 you might as well not bother with the record and move on to something else. Replacing a vocalist is never easy, but, with that said, Felipe is a more than apt, if a bit less distinguishable, replacement. He sings with a lot of power, conviction and does justice to the songs, though he could use a little more range. I'd say the band made the right choice by getting him on board. The atmosphere is as imposing and mighty as ever, undeniably epic, with dual (sometimes more) guitar harmonies, at times melancholic, others heroic, and soaring melodies that are to die for. The guitars cut through with heaviness and clarity, a towering sound that effortlessly makes you feel as if you are taken to the album's artwork, surrounded by the strength of the sea. There's also some keyboards that give the compositions more texture but these never become overbearing, a trap in which lots of bands seem to fall into. As expected, the pace is mostly kept to a minimum but Scald don't need fast drums or fancy tricks to achieve an epic and exhilarating sound, and we wouldn't have it any other way anyway. He is a simple yet effective drummer who does exactly what is expected of him. Then again, this is Scald, you already knew what to expect (as if the artwork didn't give it away anyway). It is slow, heavy and monumental, what else could you ask for?

For highlights, the opener wastes no time in setting the mood and, right away, the spirit of old Scald is alive and well. Epic is the word here, the chorus is intense and powerful, Felipe certainly proves his credentials, which smoothly transitions into soul-piercing guitar action. The band are at their best when they focus on instrumental brilliance instead of relying on vocal melodies for a hook, which they certainly do at times, and Young God Resurrected is a great example of the former, containing an epic buildup that leads to an extended solo and an instrumental verse, which already made its appearance but is made all the more powerful the way these sections effortlessly segue into one another. However, they left their best and mightiest for last: The Liberating Spells of Fire is the most energetic and powerful song on the record. Felipe is at his best and we are treated with monumental harmonies for days. It is impossible to stay indifferent to such a huge and glorious performance. (As a side-note, I swear I recognize that main melody from somewhere but for the life of me I can't figure out from where, but that's besides the point). The same can be said for The Enemy Among Us, one of the best cuts and I can't believe it got reduced to a mere bonus track. The packaging itself is great. You can tell they spent a lot of time and dedication to make something worthy for not only the fans but to honor their own legacy. There is lots of art inside the booklet, all sharing the same theme of old Slavic mythology, along with the lyrics.

As great as the album may be, it's not without its flaws. I'll start by addressing the most criticized aspect: the production. Being a record of 2024, it is difficult to put your music on tape and make it sound natural and pure, at least comparatively to old metal bands who, more often than not, were seemingly able to effortlessly achieve a warm, smooth sound by default. Will of Gods is a Great Power was an organic, if a bit muddy, recording with a production that greatly contributed to and enhanced the atmosphere. Of course, it is futile to try and replicate such a sound, and, while I wouldn't call this "artificial" or "plastic", it is a bit overproduced and very loud, to the point where, while it doesn't clip, you can hear some distortion in a few places. The drums are very polished, so polished in fact that it doesn't sound like a real drummer and, instead, it feels like I'm listening to a drum machine. There is nothing wrong with the drummer or his way of playing, there's just no life to the drums at all, which is a shame because they are a key component in achieving the epic sound Scald were going for. The bass also suffers from the recording, you can hear it but it is kind of just there and doesn't really do anything to stand out. The bassist is effectively reduced to a nothing-player because his contributions are seldom felt. This isn't to downplay his skills, he's just buried beneath everything and he has one of the weakest bass tones I've ever heard. Another critique is the mix, which favors the vocals a bit too much and doesn't give the other instruments too much room to breathe. Even though everything sounds loud and clear, when Felipe sings it can be a bit difficult to discern what they are playing, especially when they're buried under tons of harmonies. Perhaps it is a bit of a smoother experience on an analog format, I only have the cd so I can't comment on it. I know I might lead you to think the production is horrible but really it is not that bad, it's just that it could've been better, it's certainly not a deal-breaker though.

This brings me to yet another issue which is the songwriting. I mentioned it earlier but the band tend to build the songs almost exclusively around the vocals, which is something I was afraid of. To reiterate, there is nothing wrong with his vocals, I just think Scald excel especially during instrumental passages, which are there but songs like The Master of the Lake rely too much on it. It is not a bad song but certainly one of the weakest here (relatively speaking because I do not believe there's a bad song here). Epic bands tend to make the vocalist the center of attention but it sounds so deliberate and lazy that it kind of loses its intended impact. Take bands like Candlemass, Dark Quarterer, the aforementioned Dawn (on their debut anyway) or even Will of Gods..., which never needed a vocalist to create such huge epic grandness but used them to complement the music instead of taking over. I don't know if that's more of a personal preference or an actual criticism but I thought it was enough to warrant some words. Also, again, the band went for a more deliberately epic approach. I saw a comment on the Youtube upload of the album and they said it best: an epic album doesn't have to be epic all the time in order to achieve the desired atmosphere. All the aforementioned bands had real buildups, climaxes, rises in tension, etc., which elevated them above all the others who could only hope of achieving such might. Ancient Doom Metal is epic all throughout, making it a bit tiring to get through if you're not in the right mood, in comparison to their debut which was the result of organic playing and chemistry, though this one certainly ends on a high note.

I know I likely spent more time talking about the negatives, I just have an easier time expanding on them, but the truth is this is a great record and nothing short of a success. I had my hopes for this record and they were mostly met and, for that, I can't complain. The record is epic, formidable and memorable. The legacy of Agyl lives on through these new compositions and I can't imagine anyone being too disappointed by this. It doesn't necessarily reach the heights of their debut, but, as far as follow-ups go, especially from a band who was inactive for many years, they did a great job and with enough conviction to prove they are here to stay. Some of my criticisms, admittedly, boil down to my own personal taste but, even for people who didn't enjoy this very much, I'd recommend giving it another chance and letting it grow on you because more Scald is always a welcome addition for any fan of this style. And, hey, when the record is endorsed by Leif Edling himself you know you're in for a treat.