Artist: Varathron
Country: Greece
Label: Agonia Records
Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD
Year: 2023
For the lovers of the Hellenic sound, Varathron will always remain something that sparks a feeling of magical enthusiasm. Not only were they amongst the very originators of the infamous Greek Black Metal scene, they have also continued to carry that flag into each subsequent decade since their inception, and, frankly, still proudly doing so today. While not all of the band’s back catalogue might be equally essential, it is beyond doubt that the immortal melodies of ‘His Majesty At The Swamp’ are forever embedded in our collective DNA.
One could make a case that the albums released onwards from 2004’s ‘Crowsreign’ can be regarded as less fundamental and portray Varathron in a less quintessential way. While these albums are decent works on their own, they lacked that mythical touch that made the highlights in the band’s career so special. Yet, that completely changed with the release of 2018’s ‘Patriarchs Of Evil’. With little to no indication that the band returned to their old formula: the songs on that sixth full-length album were brimming with catchy and folky melodies, blistering drums and Stefan Necroabyssious’ trademark barking vocals. To cut things short, ‘Patriarchs Of Evil’ was the best album the band released since their classic first two albums from the first half of the 90’s.
That, of course, set the bar sky high for everything that would follow-up this modern-day masterpiece of Greek Black Metal. At least it took the band quite some time to forge a proper successor. Not counting the split 7” EP’s with Rotting Christ (2019, Hells Headbangers) and Ungod (2022, Iron Bonehead Productions), Stefan & Co. needed five years and judging from the result, that definitely was worth the wait.
But, to start of with a conclusion, ‘The Crimson Temple’ is not able to match the sheer brilliance of its predecessor, yet it creeps up to it quite closely. The band’s refound musical path from ‘Patriarchs Of Evil’ is continued and pushed further into breathtaking grounds. The melodies are again entitled for the leading role throughout the whole album, but they still go hand in hand with the rolling drums and Stefan’s wild vocal delivery. ‘The Crimson Temple’ also reveals another piece of the band’s deep-rooted origin; a song like ‘Immortalis Regnum Diaboli’, for example, is heavily peppered with Thrash Metal riffs but is further embellished with the signature Folk elements that made Varathron such a unique band in the first place.
If one minor flaw of ‘Patriarchs Of Evil’ has to be mentioned, then it will be that the strong start of the album is not carried throughout the full playing time of the album. At the second half of the album the tension is waning a bit and that, unfortunately, is again the case with ‘The Crimson Temple’. Not all of the songs, again especially in the second half, have the same intensity or catchy hooks. With its 47-minutes it might have been an idea to shorten things up just a bit to keep the album a bit more effective.
But, as a whole, it is clear that the band is on track and in those recent years they have been revitalizing themselves. The years of somewhat lesser albums now seem like an eternity ago, and we can now speak without a doubt of a definitive return of one of the greatest heroes of the early Black Metal scene. So, if anything, ‘The Crimson Temple’ is a proper follow-up to its preceding contemporary classic and if you share the same admiration for Varathron, it is very much worth your time and effort.
