To Obey A Tyrant – Frigore Inferni (EP)
Release Date:21st February 2025
Label: Seek and Strike
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Genre: Deathcore, Blackened Deathcore, Symphonic Metal.
FFO: Mental Cruelty, Worm Shepherd, Lorna Shore.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards
U.K.-based blackened deathcore favorites, To Obey A Tyrant are back with a brand-new EP, out February the 21st via Seek and Strike. Continuing the fierce momentum of their 2022 full-length album Omnimalevolent, Frigore Inferni is the next stage in the band’s evolution. The EP features Brandon Singleton on vocals, Josh Rushton and Jamie Stevens on guitar, Harvey Hockey on bass, and Bruno Clay is on drums.
Press releases from the band explain that Frigore Inferni translates from Latin as “The Cold of Hell” or “Freezing Hell.” The EP chronicles the chaos of a frozen hellscape unleashed on the world by evil forces. Frigore Inferni combines the malevolence of black metal with the brutality of deathcore, underscored by unearthly orchestral accompaniments. It’s a combination we’ve heard before from other prominent bands in the scene, and some might say the formula has been overused. So have To Obey A Tyrant succeeded in pushing the boundaries, or is this just more of the same?
I, Apollyon opens with an ominous orchestral arrangement that has an expansive, cinematic quality. The banshee screech heralding the first verse is a bit startling, but it’s pure gold. Singleton’s vocals layered with the symphonic elements manage to keep the film-like atmosphere intact. There’s a lot of movement in the guitars and the drums are very precise. It gets really nasty and rather slammy around 1:18, and those gutturals are something else. This track feels like a car that has bottomed out and left its muffler in the middle of the street. The symphonic sections are very fluid, so when the more straightforward deathcore aspects take the lead, they’ve got a lot of firepower. The dynamics change frequently and sometimes even a little abruptly, but it’s a nice, dramatic opener to set the stage for their story.
The striking choral intro to Obsidian Sol is just long enough to set the tone and give you a taste of the symphonic elements before they overlay it with the heavy stuff. The verses are very dynamic, and all of that movement adds to the drama of this track. It’s not all tremolo picking and blast beats, but they didn’t cheat us out of them either. The overall impression of the verse is so oppressive and evil that the melodic chorus rather takes you by surprise. I wouldn’t call it singable, but it’s definitely hum-able. Singleton’s vocals are absolutely filthy, but he manages to be quite expressive as well. After a while, breakdowns can get to be a little boring, but this one is first-rate. It was the breakdown I didn’t think I wanted, and they milked it for all it was worth.
Judging from the intro, I thought Dawnbreaker was going to be more funereal. It’s a bit slower than the previous tracks, but there’s still plenty of movement. The drums here are particularly good, as the speedy stops and starts contrast nicely with the flowing choral and orchestral arrangement behind it. Something about it feels a bit Dimmu Borgir in spots. Maybe a hint of the intro to Progenies of the Great Apocalypse, but don’t quote me on that. The atmospheric section takes us up to around a minute, when the more deathcore side briefly takes over. The tempo begins to pick up again, but it really takes off around 2:00. It still has that blackened edge, but there’s a lot of melody here, too. Like the dynamics, Singleton’s impressive vocals are all over the place. However, it fits the narrative, as if different entities are picking up the storyline.
Frigore Inferni is my favorite track on the album by far, and it’s probably the most cohesive as well. The symphonic black metal elements are very much in evidence throughout most of the composition. However, I’m also getting more symphonic death metal in a 2010s Fleshgod Apocalypse kind of way, and they’re absolutely nailing it. The rhythm and guitars keep driving this track forward, while the orchestral lines hold everything together. I like that they maintain some speed in this track. The moving leads have a kind of clean, old-school metal vibe that is literally perfect. It’s dramatic and melodic, and I love everything about it. They still manage a breakdown at the very end, but I’ll give them a pass because this is a gorgeous composition.
Prince Ov Death begins with the orchestral and chorale sections laying the foundation. We’re definitely getting more deathcore that edges into beatdown/slam territory. It’s some knuckle-dragging caveman stuff, and I almost wish they’d have stuck with this more stripped-down approach. The symphonic sections are well done, and the guitar melody is beautifully sinister. That solo guitar line would have made an amazing outro, but for the last thirty seconds, they go back to a more deathcore approach. It feels too much like an afterthought, though, and does the track a disservice.
Winter’s Rite fires right off without the stark orchestral intros we’ve seen previously. The mid-tempo verse accelerates to a much speedier, but still very melodic, section before it comes to a rolling stop with the deathcore chugs. The full stop around 1:48 is like taking a breath before diving back into the fray. I like the juxtaposition of the drums hammering away like lightning while the vocals and the melody line continue at a slightly more subdued pace. I get more melodic death metal and less symphonic black metal in places, but it transitions back to a more traditional black metal type of sound to round off the piece. The piano outro was as unexpected as it was beautiful.
Overall, Frigore Inferni is a solid EP. To Obey A Tyrant aren’t exactly bringing anything new to the table, but they did give the old formula a little flair. If you’re into blackened symphonic deathcore, or any of the above, it’s certainly worth a listen. I appreciate the band’s focus on dynamics, but sometimes the changes feel a bit too abrupt. However, I cannot fault the storytelling or the musicianship. The vocals are impressive, the guitar work is compelling, and the drumming is flawless. If they can get a handle on the transitions in their arrangements, it’ll just make them that much better. In the meantime, show these gents some support by checking out Frigore Inferi on Friday the 21st.
(3.5 / 5)
