The self-titled debut EP by occult Italian outfit Pyra was a brilliantly conceived slab of mind-numbingly oppressive black metal that very much felt like something, not of this earth, being decidedly evil and sinister, more so than most other works belonging to the same genre.
Their latest epic is a six-track full-length opus that sees the unhallowed entity bringing forth a set of dark and eerie compositions that is even sharper and more focused than what came before. In other words, Pyra have evolved, refined their incredibly atmospheric brand of claustrophobic metal even further, and crafted some utterly absorbing material that possesses depth, conviction, and a singular vision concerning how efficient and dynamic black metal ought to sound.
The production adds power and crunch as well as clarity and low end to the proceedings, meaning that it gets the sound right and strikes the perfect balance between a certain organic rawness and plenty of punch and definition in terms of each instrument.
In terms of standout moments, there is one gloriously majestic tune that needs to be highlighted here and that’s ‘Summit of Existence’, due to its uniquely forbidding aura and insanely great and catchy riffs – it’s just astoundingly good and not a single second is wasted. Then again, there are no weak or unremarkable tracks on the disc whatsoever.
Loads of death metal influences seep into the fiery brew and the whole sickening thing works like a cursed charm. On top of that, the album artwork suits the content splendidly and one can easily tell that a lot of thought and work went into the creation of the malevolent musical document.
Those Who Dwell in the Fire is an addictive and thrilling listening experience, and in fact, those spiteful and unnerving vocals courtesy of guitarist/bassist L. are worth the price of admission alone.
Those Who Dwell in the Fire is released on February 23 via Immortal Frost Productions.
