Review by Felix on February 26, 2025.

After a long period of silence, Dysangelium return, albeit with only four songs. However, they still form an EP that is significantly longer than some so-called full-lengths. There are nearly 27 minutes of well-produced German black metal to listen to and even if I don't really have Death Leading in my head anymore, it can be said that Dysangelium have remained true to their pretty fascinating style. There is still this typical, stormy element in their musical monuments and the very powerful voice adds the feeling of strength and total dedication. If lead singer Sektarist works in an open-plan office, I feel a little sorry for his colleagues – it's bound to get loud with this vocal power. But as an ordinary black metal consumer, I simply enjoy his commanding vocals a lot.

The production does not allow any contradiction either. I am speaking about a mighty, massive mix with a good balance between transparency and, well, not dirt, but a kind of alarm signal. The guitar sound reflects rebellion and defiance and so the technical implementation cannot be blamed for appearing sterile or polished. This is great, because the song material deserves to be put into the right frame. The unconventionally designed songs house a lot of sombre and harsh melodies, and the appropriate number of breaks and tempo changes lend the songs a fresh, energetic and captivating shape. All of them reach a high quality level, it is not just the glorious opener "Of the Burning Throne (Manifest I)". Just dive into its second part (?) "Whispering Knives (Manifest II)". Equipped with a few ominous tones at the beginning, it turns into an infernal experience with high-speed eruptions, dangerous mid-tempo parts and constantly menacing guitars.

What I really like is the fact that each and every track seems to mirror the passion and the whole-heartedness of the band members. Their kind of uncompromising attacks reminds me of early Watain, the first releases of Balmog and the best tracks of Chaos Invocation. The artists take the listener along a path that always leads close to the abyss and allows him to sense the horror of a fall. The whipping drums set the pace and both band and listeners have to follow. Even if the drums seem to show a discreet signs of lenience and perform a mid-paced rhythm, the songs never lose their merciless and rigorous force. Consequently, this is a triumphant return of a band that has been inactive for much too long. However, now the dudes are back and if they have a closer look on a less ordinary artwork for their next release, they will be able to donate another masterpiece for the ears and the eyes of the global black metal scene.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10