Review CAPILLA ARDIENTE “Where Gods Live and Men Die”

It happened in 2006 in Santiago, Chile that a band was formed that released two albums to date. Capilla Ardiente is the name of this band and their first release was “Bravery, Truth and the Endless Darkness”. That was ten years ago, while the sophomore effort followed just before the pandemic put things on hold worldwide. Five years later, the quintet recorded their third studio album, “Where Gods Live and Men Die.

Their latest album is certainly their most mature to date. Epic doom metal is what fans can expect, and what ended up on the new record is a seamless continuation of where the band left off with “The Siege”.

Four songs, that’s enough for a band like Capilla Ardiente to ignite the epic metal flame that burns brightly. “Envenomed” is the first chapter of this great album and the songs show why the guys are gaining momentum with each of their releases. One factor for these great tunes is the songwriting process. The band doesn’t write songs and then add some lyrics. It’s more of a cinematic approach to the songs that leads to 12 minute masterpieces and it’s three songs that exceed the 10 minute mark that ended up on this track list.

With the aforementioned “Envenomed”, the band makes it clear what this metal endeavor is all about. A heavy guitar riff opens the album and it’s the voice of frontman Felipe Plaza Kutzbach that gives the song its emotional intensity.

Creating songs with a cinematic approach is not only an ambition of the band. It works very well in reality, because listening to each of these monstrous metal tunes feels like listening to a soundtrack without the existence of a movie. Inspired by the story, the band wrote songs that delight the listener with their versatility and twists. Following the basic formula of doom and epic metal, Capilla Ardiente adds enough layers and unexpected twists to their songs. This not only shows the band’s musical vision and savvy, but also results in mesmerizing songs that spark excitement from start to finish.

Without a doubt, “Where Gods Live and Men Die” is a thunderous metal album that will be appreciated by fans of bands like Candlemass and Cirith Ungol. Capilla Ardiente pick it up from where they left off with “The Siege” and have now added another great metal release to the books. Very well done.