A switch of label for the release of this French band’s third album, which comprises the duo of Christophe Florian as the head honcho plus drummer Cadaver (according to the promo text I have for the release who I assume is actually Reno Cavadaski). I reviewed the bands last album, ‘Path Of Damara’ back in October 2018 which you can read here, if you so choose, and was suitably impressed by the atmosphere the duo generated. The ghoulish aura and occult posturing created by the addition of keyboards created a fairly unique mix that continues with this third album. Like previous albums LOTC never rest on purely one style within the song writing, preferring to weave around the listener with tendrils of subtleties and atmospherics spun around a backdrop of enthusing violence.
Opener ‘Seeds Of Hate’ purveys this approach perfectly as the haunting riff and backing melodies link nicely with the stripped back percussive strains that add weight to the songs groove infested stance. The riff is hook laden here, it really ingrains into your head, a facet that reappears throughout the release. At times the band has focused on the doom-death styling that was evident on the sophomore, but here I felt it was much more noticeable, in a style similar to what UK doom-death acts of the early 90s were recording, i.e. Paradise Lost and their ilk. Those atmospherics are always present, whether through the copious guitar hooks or embedded keyboard work which sets the release apart from other acts similar to this. ‘When A King Burns A Master’ follows the opener and retains that sense of depressive wrangling wrought by the guitar work as the keyboard is really amplified here before the surge in speed arrives abruptly. The riff has a dense gruesomeness coupled to the mid-tempo velocity to ensure the song has some neck snapping qualities.
I really liked ‘Ouroboros’, the gentle fade-in sets the scene with the screeching guitar work to back it up as the song possesses an ominous toning that gradually builds to the inevitable riff switch. Again, the song has a slower doom-death quality but reinforced by a fine catchy riff that had me thinking about early Rotting Christ, circa ‘Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers’ material, with a metronomic and hypnotic pacing that is enshrouded by a deluge of hooks. ‘The Gloomy Seer’ follows a short bridging interlude, ‘The Procession Of Shadows’, and in some respects that interlude acts as an intro piece to it as the song unleashes a piercing riff and dramatic build up enhanced by a brief half blasted segment. The song seems heavier in contrast to the other tunes here, but it could be just how it feels compared to the interlude. Richly diverse and pumped with energy the song has a rancorous nature, almost acerbic vocally where the tone takes on a blackened harshness that increases the songs general wrath.
Eerie and again haunting ‘Throne Of The Ocean’ is a very short number backed by some choral like vocal effects as the song uses the keyboards hugely here to produce a gothic toning, before the song changes for the dense riff that ensues. That gothic superlative is one that could be applied to a variety of sections on a lot of the songs here, though I must add it is really only that, an effect used to bolster the atmosphere as this is deathly stuff indeed. Closing the release is ‘Return Of The Witch Lord’ which sees the band return to a more familiar style with a slower riff but still backed by the keyboards as there are definite Paradise Lost elements here and even very early Septicflesh before they went totally symphonic. The speed is faster it seems too, though done periodically as the tune has a fabulous guitar hook that said Paradise Lost fans will certainly appreciate.
A wealth of ideas on LOTC’s third album, one bristling with the explorative ingenuity, guile and excellent musicality that continues this bands creative prowess without one iota of stagnation. A fine release again by the French duo!
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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