Review by Vladimir on September 26, 2024.

Among the recent additions to the Hellenic black metal scene, one of the most notable examples is the band Yoth Iria, which is mostly known among fans as the new band of bassist Jim Mutilator of former Rotting Christ and Varathron fame. Although the band is still relatively new and not quite as well-known as some of the other Greek metal bands, especially because they’ve been around since 2019, they are quite fortunate to have gained a highly impressive reputation for the past couple of years, and now they are returning with their second full-length album Blazing Inferno, which is due to be released on November 8th, 2024 via Edged Circle Productions. This is a perfect opportunity for the band to spread their blackened wings even further and purge the skies with their upcoming unholy divinity of an album. If you thought that this year couldn’t get more exciting, even during the second half when it seems like the balls are about to drop, oh boy were you wrong. In case you are asking yourselves why, stick around and you’ll see… 

The title itself truly lives up to its name, because what you seek is what you get, a one big Blazing Inferno that scorches the world beneath it. Yoth Iria presents a massive collection of highly expressive black metal songs with such epic and dark vibes, presented in a traditional Hellenic metal fashion when it comes to the overall execution, with a very effective use of simplistic riffs and melodies that are well integrated in every song structure, further amplified by the harsh dry vocals of Rustam Shakirzyanov (a.k.a. He) and the tight drumming of Vasilis Stavrianidis. Each song on the album is like an individual chapter from a doomsayer’s prophecy, complimented with a very strong atmosphere of dread and doom that builds up to an apocalyptic event which unfolds slowly throughout with the track-by-track progression, while carving these images in your mind where you clearly picture Armageddon itself. If there is one thing that Greek black metal bands are incredibly good at, apart from their generally clever songwriting, it’s the atmosphere in their music, because it’s evidently one of the greatest aspects of Blazing Inferno, as it shines from the very beginning towards the very end. On top of that, the true magic of the songs lies within their power to transport you in another place in another time, because you feel like you’re going back to the Dark Ages with every song on the album, looking back at some of the most gruesome and horrifying historic events that fuel the wake of the forthcoming destruction. Although each track is great in its own way, the most exceptional case for me was 'Mornings Of The One Thousand Golds' that really took the top spot, but I also really love 'Our Father Rode Again His Ride' for having some 90’s Bathory influences mixed with the epic Hellenic black metal elements, as well as 'Rites Of Blood And Ice' for fusing some epic folk elements. The progression of the album certainly works very well with the consistent heaviness and tension, especially with the everlasting strength carried from one song to another, with a couple of notable exceptions along the way that further compliments its overall greatness. With the suspense building up towards the closing track 'We Call Upon The Elements', it pretty much works out so flawlessly that it makes the ending even better, with its conclusion delivering such a grand payoff that the ending feels so right. 

No matter how simplistic the song structures may seem, I still think that the songwriting was well executed with its clever use of ideas that were put to a good use in every song, and I believe that Yoth Iria just wouldn’t allow themselves for anything to go to waste. Although you might get a slight feeling of heavy stylistic consistency between each song on the album, it certainly doesn’t spoil the fun, because the band manages to keep the entire journey interesting at all times and with the musical build-up, they just make things even more entertaining. I think it pretty much goes without saying that this album has so many strengths and qualities that really make it worth a while, so it’s really hard to count all of them if you become so immersed into the beauty of Blazing Inferno. I had a real great time listening to other notable recent Hellenic metal albums like Varathron’s "The Crimson Temple" and Rotting Christ’s "Pro Xristou", but I must say that neither of the two were as highly engaging as this one, because this one is very special in its own right, and although drawing comparisons would be highly unfair of me, I really feel like this one is just so exceptional because of the general goosebumps I got from start to finish. Do I have any flaws to address about this album? Not really, because it’s really that good and mesmerizing you’d wish it lasted longer, but you know what they say, even good things must come to an end. On the final note, I can only add two other great things about Blazing Inferno, the amazing devilish album artwork by the Indian artist Harshanand Singh who was successful in visually capturing the majesty of Yoth Iria’s musical output, as well as the excellent sound production with the mixing and mastering handled by the brilliant work of Lawrence Mackrory.

Out of all the recent Hellenic metal albums I had heard lately, this is without a shadow of a doubt, THE best one, and holy shit what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be. Yoth Iria provided such a brilliant masterwork of atmospheric, epic and melodic black metal that burns twice as high and could not be better described other than with the magnificent album title, Blazing Inferno. It’s an album you must check out if you are into Greek black metal, and make sure you crank it up to eleven and play it loud in all its might and glory.

Rating: 9.3 out of 10