Artist: Warmoon Lord
Country: Finland
Label: Werewolf Records
Formats: 12” mLP
Year: 2026
That Lord Vrăjitor likes to keep himself busy is evident from his involvement in Old Sorcery, Warmoon Lord, Kerkerengel, Argenthorns and so on, but still, this new Warmoon Lord EP comes earlier than I had anticipated. After all, ‘Sacrosanct Demonopathy’ was released only a year ago. But no complaining some my side as I explored what ‘Deófol-Cræft’ has to offer.
Well, the answer to that exploration certainly is that Lord Vrăjitor and Revenant Strigoi had some surprises in store. A large part of that comes from the sound of the EP, which features a much rawer guitar sound and more overpowering drums compared to the earlier work. It’s not as if we should compare it to for instance Kerkerengel or the Portuguese raw Black Metal scene, but certainly it sets itself apart from the other Warmoon lord releases and results in a balance shift where the trademark symphonic elements are pushed further to the back. It also comes with a more straightforward riff approach, shifted back from the more complex compositions of ‘Sacrosanct Demonopathy’ towards the faster tracks on ‘Battlespells’ and ‘Burning Banners of the Funereal War’. Even though the core of the compositions remains recognisable, the tracks have a more in your face intent, to a degree where at times it reminds me of Katharsis. No matter how you put it, it’s undeniable that ‘Deófol-Cræft’ feels a lot darker and colder, and at the same time less bombastic and epic than the previous material.
That more aggressive approach is certainly manifested strongly in ‘Oratio Ad Draconem Rubrum’, where at time the riffs whirl back and forth with precise fury, the sound is shrill and vocals snarling, and keyboards are reserved for the dying seconds. We find similar components in ‘Mortification and Mastery’, though you can argue that this fits well with the more uptempo track on ‘Battlespells but with more subdued symphonic elements. Perhaps the most typical Warmoon Lord track is ‘Deófles’, not coincidentally a somewhat slower track where the atmosphere has more room to breathe. ‘Bloodsword’ is a raging instrumental track, while ‘Night of Silver Fire’ is razor sharp, dark and funereal, again in line with the fiercest the band has produced to date. Altogether, the EP offers more pace, a shriller sound and less room to breathe, while the keyboards enhance the atmosphere in a much less prominent fashion than before.
For me personally, I think ‘Deófol-Cræft’ presents an interesting shift that works well on an EP format. The band has been exploring the boundaries of their sound throughout their discography, and I think a side trip to a darker and rawer dimension suits the band well. After all, Warmoon Lord has always been aggressive in pace and dark and twisted in atmosphere, so in essence this EP offers more of that, just in a slightly different form.
