Silent for a few years but it is time to step into the light and “Saturnian Black Magick” of Inconcessus Lux Lucis once more. I think that I am beginning to get illumination from the Manchester based act finally following on from a couple of previous releases and seeing them live supporting Mayhem. It’s not just temples colliding here but a fusion of blackened and traditional heavy metal that binds the song-craft of the players together. There’s plenty of talk here about ‘mysteries of liminal darkness,’ ‘celestial bodies’ and arcane and ‘auditory necromancy’ in description of their work but on a baser and more down to earth level it’s all about tying together the old and new ways of metal. In doing so there is good crossover potential between those that grew up to the classical roots of the genre and those who are looking for something a bit more extreme. What matters the most though is that if you are after something that is charged and volatile and allows you to head-bang along, you will find no problems doing so here.

There are a couple of short instrumental tracks, one at opening and one midway through the album. The first displays acoustic guitar work moving into the sort of proto metal sparkling fretwork reminiscent of the intoxicating craft of bands such as The Devil’s Blood and similar occult rock groovers. The second has meandering bass work that immediately reminds of mid-era Metallica. As soon as the first is dispatched with and they plough into ‘I Am The Crooked Blade’ the main drive of black thrashing metal is the signifying style. Melodicism plays an overriding part here and the leads and flourishes of the riff work harmoniously weaves away and would no doubt appeal to the mainstream Iron Maiden fans tuning in. By comparison the hoary and gravid vocals from William Jackson who is also responsible for the driving beat is coarse and guttural. These don’t deviate at all, don’t go expecting clean sweeps or high croons as the album continues, however having said that I reckon they would have no trouble fitting in. There are occasional melodies that wouldn’t be out of place in a Swedish BM attack and title track here is a good example full of driving urgency and with enough darkness to appeal to those into the origins of that particular species.

This is catchy stuff make no mistake and with Jackson along with other founding member Alexander James adding third strummer Guillaume Martin to the line-up, the hooks come thick and fast. The swagger of ‘Revenge of the Other God’ took me by surprise at first. Apart from the already described styles there’s also a bit of a Southern Rock groove going on here. Sure, it’s sped up but unless my ears are mistaking me it’s an underlying facet and adds to the upbeat bravado of the song. Complete with a whopping 11-minute plus finale ‘And His Wounds Shall Devour the Heavens’ it’s a well-tempered conclusion. We get a fast speed metal dervish capable of tying the listener in knots along with a touch of doom for good measures. A solid and suitably fiery release.

(8/10 Pete Woods)

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https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/temples-colliding-in-fire