Vale of Pnath – Between The Worlds of Life and Death
Release Date: 24th May 2024
Label: Willowtip Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Technical Death Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal, Deathcore.
FFO: Fallujah, Inferi, Obscura, Abigail Williams, Demon King, Shadow of Intent.
Review By: Rick Farley
I will be the first to admit that I did not know much about Denver, Colorado’s Vale of Pnath going into this review. Don’t hate, you only have room for so many bands at any given moment, and these guys sort of fell through the cracks somehow. I did sort of know that they were considered a technical death metal band, well, that is what I thought, I guess. So, truth be told, I choose this album for review out of pure curiosity (there has been amazing music coming out of Colorado lately) and on the blackened hooves of their searing first single Soul Offering. I am happy to admit, I’m glad I did.
After visiting their back catalogue, turns out I was only partially correct in my initial “band box” assumptions. Yes, the first two full length albums are basically tech-death, but with major flourishes of melody and atmosphere. With the release of their blackened EP Accursed in 2019, it was evident that the band was introducing the fans to the next era. Now five years later, Vale of Pnath are dropping what is to be the full-blown evolution of that EP into the ruthless atmospheric, blackened tech-death of Between The Worlds of Life and Death. Releasing May 24th on Willowtip Records.
Between The Worlds of Life and Death forges a unique path within their extreme metal influences this time around. Bits of Behemoth, Shadow of Intent, Fallujah, and Abigail Williams flicker through without losing the incredible technical musicianship for which they are known. Immense swaths of orchestral synth atmosphere bastardized with infernal riffs and insanely technical drum patterns, becoming darker, more menacing than anything the band has done before. Tracks like Silent Prayers and Burning Light are as equally aggressive as they are symphonic, morphing soundscapes from destructive to fiendish, while Shadow beats you senseless with its sheer black metal force and blistering leads. Uncertain Tomorrow utilizes smouldering prog elements to enhance the cosmic feel of the track, capturing a mesmerizing dark creepiness.
Stylistically, Between The Worlds of Life and Death offers up an ample dose of gleaming shine amongst all the blackness. The sound equivalent of a burning corpse at pitch black night full of bright fiery colours, smoke, and ash. It is dark, heavy, and utterly evil.
I have seen mixed reactions to this shift in sound. Personally, it works for me, and although the album is completely brutal, it does have a more accessible sound with a little less tech wankery, if you will. However, with guest solo spots from Christian Muenzer, Donny Burbage, Miles Dimitri Baker and numerous others, there is no shortage of guitar acrobatics to please your techy soul. Not to mention, the drums are absolutely incredible. Although the earlier stuff is really good for what it is, this is way more interesting to me.
Black metal is probably my favourite genre depending on the day, and there is a considerable amount of atmospheric and blackened charged music on Between The Worlds of Life and Death. For those of you who are on the fence though, the highly polished, core tech death foundation of Vale of Pnath is still well represented here, and it results in an impressive, infectious amalgamation of the two worlds. Do not sleep on this just because you cannot get over the first two albums, the signs were always there. 
(4 / 5)
