Freedom of Fear – Carpathia
Release Date: 21st October 2022
Label: EVP Recordings
Bandcamp
Genre: Technical Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal.
FFO: Obscura, Necrophagist, Cradle of Filth, Morbid Angel, Lorna Shore.
Review By: Eric Wilt
In 2019 Freedom of Fear released an absolutely crushing tech-death debut called Nocturnal Gates. Hailing from Australia, Freedom of Fear is made up of vocalist Jade Monserrat, guitarists Matt Walters and Corey Davis, and bassist Georgina Kittel. After a touring schedule in support of Nocturnal Gates that saw them open for the likes of Fleshgod Apocalypse, Jinjer, Revocation, and Obituary, to name a few, they’re back with a new full-length, which will be released on 21 October 2022.
The first track, Zenith, kicks off with a riff that Obscura would be proud to play. Anchored by tech-death legend Hans Grossman on drums, the song sounds like it’s business as usual until the verse kicks in. At this point, Freedom of Fear branches out into symphonic black metal territory, complete with background choir effect. I am personally not a fan of symphonic black metal, so I hate to see Freedom of Fear incorporate it in their new album, but symphonic black metalcore is seeing such a huge spike in popularity that I have no doubt many people will appreciate this new side of Freedom of Fear.
Carpathia is next and, while it still features some tech-death sections, it is much more symphonic black metal than anything resembling the songs on Nocturnal Gates. There is a brief neoclassical lead towards the end of the song that tries to redeem it, but Carpathia is symphonic black metal through and through. Track seven, Immortal, follows this same formula and is also predominately symphonic black metal.
The rest of the album leans heavier into the tech-death side of things, but the symphonic choir effect pervades most of the songs. Tracks like Primordius and Gatekeeper are tech-death songs that have a symphonic feel without crossing over into the black metal side of things. Nebula is mostly tech-death, but it does have a section of black metal towards the end of the song that is how I wish Freedom of Fear had incorporated black metal throughout the whole album. Entities is the heaviest song on the record and reminds me very much of Where the Slime Live by Morbid Angel. This is my favorite track on the album. The album is rounded out by Niflheim and Awakening, which are instrumentals used more as interludes for atmosphere than as actual songs.
Freedom of Fear has some serious chops, and no matter the style of music they choose to play, the songs are going to be well written and expertly executed. As a person who loved the straight-ahead tech-death of their debut album, Carpathia is a bit of a disappointment to me, but even I will be giving the album repeat listens, and if you are a person who enjoys tech-death and symphonic black metal, this record may just be your album of the year.
(3.5 / 5)
