Review by Felix on May 6, 2025.

If you ask me, the Australian scene is fantastic. Other countries such as Italy, Greece or Canada have a lot to offer as well and I am patriotic enough to mention Germany in this context, too. Anyway, the Australians distinguish themselves from their international competitors. Deströyer 666, Assaulter or Shrapnel deliver an extra dose of insidious malignancy. Denouncement Pyre do not live on the fringes of this infernal society. They are an integral component. Whenever the band reaches its top form, their songs become a maelstrom of anger, fury, desperation and aggression. A little tendency to hypnotic elements is not missing either. The profound depth of the punchy production forms the necessary requirement in order to leave nothing but scorched earth. That's all very well, but the crucial question remains. How many times does the formation exploit its huge potential? Please keep in mind that we should not be too lenient. Former monuments such as "An Extension of the Void" or "Darkness Manifest" have proven that Denouncement Pyre are able to connect skill und will in an outstanding manner. (Guess the D.P. fanboy in me wants to take command, but, as you surely know, I am a bastion of incorruptible objectivity.)

Well, the big picture shows a very solid hit rate. Denouncement Pyre have not forgotten how to write sharp riffs and they also construct grim yet melodic soundscapes which will be enjoyed by warsluts like K.K. from Deströyer 666. Some parts of the album stand shoulder to shoulder to a certain number of fragments of "Wildfire", the recently published Deströyer album. Nevertheless, Denouncement Pyre do not lack of an own identity and they are in their element whenever they pick up speed. Vice versa, this means that the relatively high number of mid-tempo parts is slightly dubious. Of course, the band has the competency to present strong mid-paced sequences as well, just listen to "Wounds of Golgotha", which creates a crackling tension. It's rather slow versus the profit from the profound heaviness of the massive production that I have indicated before. Especially the intensifying guitars between the verses generate an impenetrable sound. Nevertheless, the crucial element is the break after three minutes, which leads to the rapid parts of the song. It adds the final touch.

I have already mentioned the mix and despite its more or less contemporary touch, I like it very much. The guitars have a pretty ominous sound and the vocal performance of "D." (longer pseudonyms were sold out) spreads a demonic aura as well. Bass fetishists will not praise the production, but from my point of view, the sound engineers have done a very respectable job. I recommend to lend an ear to the sound cascades at the beginning of the diabolic "Scars Adorn the Whore in Red". But not only the first tones of this number are exciting. The different modules of this song are connected in a virtuoso manner.

Let's have a look at the last pieces of album. "Witness" is another interesting piece that avoids lukewarm mediocrity with big ease. Its rabid robustness remains unaffected by a hymnal guitar line, but the ponderous second half of the track prevents a real killer. The following instrumental intermezzo does not lack of spirit, the closer fails to shine with special moments. The trio at the end of the running order illustrates the (small) dilemma of "Black Sun Unbound". Denouncement Pyre act on a high level, the songs are really good, but sometimes the ultimate strike is missing. Thus, the album is not as brilliant as its predecessor, but still a strong output. Moreover, the integrity of the band cannot be called into question. Happy Australia.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Nathan on May 6, 2025.

While I was unfamiliar with Denouncement Pyre prior to preparing for this review, their style is one I can easily recognize. Australian extreme metal bands, be they chaotic like Bestial Warlust or more deliberate like Destroyer 666, have a certain thrashy yet epic feel that you can't find anywhere else. My first thought upon firing up Black Sun Unbound was "man, this sure does sound like Destroyer 666", and fortunately in this case that's not a bad thing. Phoenix Rising may have a great aesthetic (and a few amazing tracks like "I am the Wargod"), but the album does have spots where it drags, and the warlike atmosphere becomes contrived and hollow. Denouncement Pyre takes that "glorious final battle" atmosphere, but they do so with much more dense songwriting that doesn't spend a lot of time messing around. As a result, Black Sun Unbound stands out even when held up against its more notorious peers.

Previous albums by Denouncement Pyre are solid listens in their own right, but the band has matured in terms of both musicianship and production quality on Black Sun Unbound, doing so without rounding down the sharp edges of their riffs. They've always had their fair share of nods to Swedish melodic black metal like Dissection and Watain, but the seamless combination of that more straightforward riffing style with the more gradual sense of grandiosity characteristic of Australian black/thrash songwriting makes for an album that is as frantic as it is melodic. Sections of songs like "Deathless Dreaming" as well as "Scars Adorn the Whore in Red" contain the obligatory blast-and-tremolo base, but then there's moments like the title track and "Transform the Aether" that take their time and weave oddly pleasant melodies. The style Denouncement Pyre is going for is one they've been fine-tuning for a while at this point, and it shows, because the songwriting flows masterfully.

Though well-crafted by experienced hands, there's not going to be many riffs on here that a seasoned fan of the bands above wouldn't be familiar with. There's enough diversity and genre-blending that Black Sun Unbound retains its own personality, sure, but this likely won't get much attention outside of people who have already bought into what Denouncement Pyre is selling. That's kind of a shame, really; with the more abstract art direction and tighter performance on Black Sun Unbound, the band seems to be getting significantly more nuanced and serious, and they're much more well-rounded as a result. One would hope they would be rewarded with an expansion in fanbase, but unfortunately, that's not always the way things work in metal. Perhaps they lack the theatrical flair of Watain or the whimsicality of Destroyer 666, but every riff on this album is solid either way. The snarly rasp could perhaps use a bit more oomph in the music, but it fits well, as is usually the case when guitarists perform harsh vocals. There isn't a moment on Black Sun Unbound that sounds out of place, but the caveat of this consistency is that no one track really stands out or takes things to the next level. If you were familiar with the band before this review, this is probably already in your top 10 albums of 2016, but even if you're a newbie like I was but generally like your black/thrash light on the trimmings and heavy on the riffs, give Black Sun Unbound a shot, as it has many small (but pleasant) surprises to uncover.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10

Review by Jeger on June 19, 2025.

For the past 36 years, Rotting Christ has so daringly explored the realms of forbidden spiritualism, war and philosophy. Their profound works have set the Tolis brothers-led faction atop the Greek scene and without much in the way of competition. Some fools claim that RC's music isn't even black metal anymore. Try figuring it into something else and see where that gets you… The earliest days of the band are best known for '93's "Thy Mighty Contract" - Rotting Christ's debut LP and one of the most important Black mMetal albums ever written. But two years before the release of "TMC", Rotting Christ released their groundbreaking "Passage To Arcturo" EP - about as trve kvlt as it gets, yet possessing of all the trademark Hellenic characteristics: theatrics, atmosphere and drama.

Rotting Christ in their most organic state: no drum machine, no experimental recording techniques and no overwhelming cinematics, just unfiltered and uncut Greek Black Metal. This unrefined piece represented the still primordial state of the early Greek scene, but it also forecasted a much different future for the movement when compared to that of the Scandinavians. Raw recording as if it was recorded in my teenage room, but wisely written with segmented compositions/passages that don't run by at light speed, but drag the grooves, stir up the melodies and offer a wealth of atmospheric components. One can't help but wonder what kind of an album "Thy Mighty Contract" could've been had Sakis and crew decided to simply build upon this particular recording foundation as opposed to the experimental nature of their debut LP. "The Forest Of N'gai" - a foreshadowing to the "Non Serviam" era and the following track, "The Mystical Meeting", is nothing more than Rotting Christ in their most brutal form: so punishing yet offering a taste of the kind of dynamics that would later be heard on albums like "Sanctus Diavolos" and "Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού". But altogether, "Passage To Arcturo" is a purist's delight - the way black metal was meant to sound - an homage to the baser and to the primal.

This thing is a gem - an overshadowed work; hiding under the dark expanse of the band's many celebrated LPs. Tucked away in the underground for only those who truly understand Black Metal to uncover. A treat: rare and bloody instead of blackened by charcoal. A thick ale kind of debauchery fit for gluttonous consumption. Rotting Christ's only noteworthy recording to have been recorded in the olde way, and the stripped-down nature of it all casts a glaring light upon the Barbaric nature of early Greek BM. Savagery unleashed but then reined in by dreamlike atmospherics and long-running melodic riffs. Profound spoken-word vocals! Ghastly grunts… True Greek black metal.

The brotherhood of those first pure days was like the stuff of fable, and the music was so fresh and unique. The mystique and the taboo of it all was the catalyst for many a late night scouring of that hole in the wall record joint downtown. The zines! The labels and of course the bands. "Passage To Arcturo" is special because it embodies everything that made those days so special. Its influence will always be felt, and yet there will never be another EP like it - transcendent but grounded in tradition and principle - just like every Rotting Christ record.

Rating: 9 out of 10