London-based She Must Burn release their second album with “Umbra Mortis”, and are probably as well known for their live playing, having amongst other things supported Cradle of Filth and Carnifex, and having appeared at Download. Not much information comes with this one, which is actually quite refreshing and just allows listening and hopefully enjoyment. The only description I’ve seen is of the style to expect, which is “dark symphonic blackened deathcore”.
After a spooky beginning, the show begins with the furious symphonic black metal of “The Rats in the Walls”. Thunderous and laced with the epic and operatic tones of a female vocalist we heard on the opener “Nine”, it’s full-on. The theatre of it is pure Carach Angren and indeed Cradle of Filth. “Of Blood and Bone” brings us full-blooded djenty deathcore. The vocals are widespread: growls, Filthian cat screeching and a more refined female choral line. At one point opera meets furious metalcore before a guitar solo is launched. One thing this album or band could ever be accused of is half measures. The title song gives more license for bombastic blasting and extreme theatricality, all couched in a maelstrom of noise and turbulence. The start of “Eulogy” is as near to being measured as you’ll get but it’s not long before extremity returns. The song has an epic feel to accompany the pungently dark instrumentals, but I wasn’t sure about the female vocals which have an explanatory quality similar to Persefone’s Miguel. What she was explaining in all this thunder and noise was lost on me.
“Misery Eternal” is another mix of everything – dual death vocals, thunderous drums, imperious symphonic sounds and a Mercenary style chorus, which this time flows out of the song. The sombre interlude “A Truer Hell” didn’t add much for me. the black symphonic pomp of “Incantation” was both welcome and unsurprising. The progression again is epic and flamboyant, even in the thunderous backdrop. The female chorus rises above the fury of “Souls Asunder” and I suppose if Therion can get away with a choir, then She Must Burn can do the same with their lofty choruses, but for me it sounds out of place, given the pungent darkness. Speaking of pungent darkness, “The Serpent” drags us down to the depths. Symphonic touches add a sense of horror. It’s wild and inextricably dark out there, and features that chorus again, but there’s never any question about us being in a dark place, as the album comes to a suitably thunderous end.
“Umbra Mortis” is intense, intentionally over the top, and not prone to measured musical styling or measured anything. It’s basically a black symphonic romp along the lines of Carach Angren. She Must Burn are not alone in this style, or in their excess, but this album is rousing fare and you certainly can’t ignore it.
(7.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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