Review by Felix on December 27, 2025.

Divinum Sanguinem is the second full-length of Ildaruni, Armenia’s black metal flagship. To promise divine blood raises expectations considerably. Certainly, the group's debut was okay, but no milestone on the global scale. And now? First of all, their lead vocalist Artak is their new bass player, and a guy called Narek is responsible for the vocals now. Unusual move, but keeping the number of line-up changes as small as possible is mostly a good thing. Bands like Holy Moses forgot this rule much too soon. Anyway, we stay in Armenia, where guitarist Robert is still the main, but not the only songwriter. New vocalist Narek has contributed a few lyrics, and Mark, the second guitarist, has written three tracks. I like a clear direction, and maybe a band leader is a must-have, but there should always be room for different ideas from different minds. This can make an album better – and Divinum Sanguinem is very, very good. The only thing that surprises me is that M-A speaks of “atmospheric black metal”. It is true, the album does not lack atmosphere in any way, but it does not stand at the center of the output. Therefore, this full-length offers more or less pure black metal to me. And this means, among other things, that I agree to M-A when it says that this is no more pagan black metal. Yes, the new album is sharper and much more intense than the debut.

This is the first reason why I enjoy Divinum Sanguinem more than Beyond Unseen Gateways, but it is not the only one. The songwriting leaves an excellent impression. To be honest, it borders on perfection. It sounds as if the band has invested a lot into the creation of the material. Just count the different kinds of vocals. They add a lot of different moods to the music, although the malicious lead vocals remain in the driver's seat the whole time. Nevertheless, there are triumphant, heroic vocals, sacral-religious choirs, and pretty clean vocal moments. The whole album spreads some oriental vibrations, and bands like Melechesh have probably been an inspiration for the Armenians. The brilliant guitar work does not have the absolutely merciless and unfathomable approach of the most rigorous Melechesh songs like “Ghouls Of Nineveh”, but it makes up for this due to its excellently coherent and outstandingly impressive lines. Ildaruni’s songs take the audience by the hand and guide them through sun-burnt valleys, lonely landscapes, and deserted villages. One of their most evident strengths is their masterful management of breaks. The band is able to create a different mood from one second to the next without losing the momentum of the compositions in any way. Moreover, the dudes have written tracks which shine with a very good balance between non-conventional song patterns and pragmatic accessibility. But let’s forget the general comments and have a detailed look at the main attractions of Divinum Sanguinem. This is always a good idea, isn’t it?

Well, in the case of this full-length, it makes no sense. Why? The entire album is a highlight, and no song is at risk of being labeled as a not-superb example of Ildaruni’s work. Of course, the intro is “only” an intro, and the thoughtful sequences of the closer contribute some debatable, perhaps not totally necessary moments. But we're happy to leave such considerations to narrow-minded philistines who get upset about two blades of grass sticking up in the front yard. I can only say that this album has it all: breadth and depth, glory and despair, aggression and greatness, horror and confidence. And the full-length seems to be proud of its origin, at least in this sense that it does not copy the icy sounds from Scandinavian role models in any way. This is also thanks to the mighty, surgically precise production, which is free of the tiniest speck of dust. Better still, it brings all elements into full bloom, while vocals and instruments meet at eye level. Last but not least, there is not one single guitar line that you think you've heard a thousand times from other formations. Fresh and energetic, passionate and intense, this is how the songs burst out of the speakers. To my heart, Armenia – I did not know that you host such great metal artists. If there is a grain of justice in the music world, Divinum Sanguinem catapults Ildaruni to a top position on the global metal scene. I should know, I have successfully passed two exams in law. Finally, I know what that was good for.

Rating: 9.7 out of 10