Review SULPHUR AEON ‘Seven Crowns and Seven Seals’

It took five years until fans of Sulphur Aeon can finally hold a new album in their hands. After the extremely accomplished ‘The Scythe of Cosimc Chaos’ the expectations were high and it wouldn’t be surprising if the guys from North Rhine-Westphalia had felt a certain pressure. Well, if you listen to ‘Seven Crowns and Seven Seals’, you won’t feel any of that. What the five-piece delivers is of highest quality and can easily keep up with the previous album.

Influenced by bands like Morbid Angel and Dissection, the guys managed to find their own way in all these years. Naturally, there are still some cross-references to be recognized. Nevertheless, Sulphur Aeon have managed to find their own musical direction, which they skillfully put into scene on ‘Seven Crowns and Seven Seals’.

The ingenious thing about this record is the musical variety and density, which is reflected in the six tracks + intro. Instead of constantly pressing the gas pedal with full power, the guys manage to create an atmospheric record, which, despite blastbeasts and deep crowls, displays a level of variety that is rarely found.

Lyrically more closely linked to Lovecraftian mythology, the band knows how to impress from beginning to end.

It starts with ‘Sombre Tidings’, a short but guiding intro. Then the band goes straight straight to the point. ‘Hammer From the Howling Void’ is a thumping death metal track where M.’s vocals impress. Whether in the fast passages or the moderate chorus, M. manages to pick up the listener emotionally.

Sulphur Aeon are not satisfied with short and crispy tracks. The songs on ‘Seven Crwons and Seven Seals’ are compositions from the netherworld and when you listen to songs like ‘The Yearning Abyss Devours Us’, you feel taken into another universe. If you close your eyes you can see the sulphurous swathes that surround the songs. In addition, the track is exemplary for the musical diversity of Sulphur Aeon. Death metal roots meet atmospheric element in this song. There is also a certain dark gothic vibe built in which makes the song one of the best tracks on an album that is one of the best of this year from A-Z.

Also worth mentioning is the iconic title track which towards the end of the album pours over the listener like hot lava. Sulphur Aeon reduce their tempo and the song slowly but relentlessly rolls into the minds of the listeners. Supported by a mesmerizing basic theme, it is this track that rightly gives the album its name.

One could now describe each of the other songs in detail, but it is best to listen to the record. Sulphur Aeon released with ‘Seven Crowns and Seven Seals’ a first class album and moves the standards of a whole genre further up. Even if the expectations were high, Sulphur Aeon manage to exceed them and who has not heard anything from the band should definitely fix that gap, because what you get offered here is something you have to listen to.