Artist: Vampyreign
Country: USA
Label: Red River Family Records
Formats: Cassette EP
Year: 2024
Although ‘Throne Of Sanguine Eclipse’ is said to be already recorded back in 2019, it only saw the dark of night in the dying days of December of 2024. What exactly caused this rather long delay is unclear, but judging from the amount of Ravnblod’s other active bands and projects it is likely that Vampyreign didn’t really enjoyed the highest priority. I wouldn’t claim I have heard all of Ravnblod’s other work, but with its quirky Raw Black Metal, Vampyreign is quite an interesting project that really deserves some attention…
‘Throne Of Sanguine Eclipse’ is a rather short EP, clocking in well under 15 minutes, but nevertheless turns out to be great starting point for this project. The basic fundamentals of Raw Black Metal are just about as common as that of the majority of the bands in this genre, yet it is the guitar tone that has a bit more of an uncomfortable feeling. Basically, the core of the Vampyreign’s music harkens back to the Black Metal from around the turn of the millennium: harsh and piercing, with an overall grainy and razor sharp guitar sound. On top of that there is those dirging, wailing and downright demented vocals and some eerie use of unorthodox melodies that result in something that is quite unique – at least in these days.
In a way it can best be described as a (un)natural blend between some of those lesser known and even less accessible bands out of the Les Légion Noires like Brenoritvrezorkre and the Germany’s leading act of drugs-infused Black Metal, Grausamkeit. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea, but definitely worth checking out if you are into some nonconformist Black Metal.
