Volcandra - The Way Of Ancients

Volcandra – The Way Of Ancients
Release Date: 1st March 2024
Label: Prosthetic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash.
FFO: Vimur, Descend, Tómarúm, Non Est Deus, Stormruler.
Review By: Mark Young

And on to Volcandra’s latest release, The Way of Ancients, which sees the Louisville quintet bring another slice of blackened melodic death for your delight and delectation! This is a very easy listen, instantly settling in with a powerful and melodic start from Birth of the Nephalem. It’s an effective marriage of the melodic and the heavy, nothing overstated and is on point. The melody lines running through this are simple but direct, as well as the switch in style from traditional black metal to a more aggressive death growl expands their sonic delivery, giving it a little extra. Fouled Sanctity goes for the more muscular route, full on and full pelt with more of a thrash leaning it still manages to get the necessary BM in there whilst keeping those melodic touches going, especially with a little bit of Gothenburg in there as it makes its way to the end. Again, this is dealt with so tastefully and efficiently. There is nothing wasted or rehashed here, and it’s great.

What we have is a band that can turn their hand to either Black Metal, Thrash, or any point in between and don’t lose a step. On Nemesis Confession they opt for the blackened, and it’s excellent, doing exactly what you want from it – fast riffs, battering drums and a little melody. Maiden of Anguish does the same trick but does it differently, amping the melody and increasing the brutality in the blacker sections.

The first four wrap Side A, let’s see if Side B is as strong. Time for a brew.

Back in a mo.

Seven Tombs brings in a softer side and is brutally kicked to the kerb as they put their collective foot to the floor and go straight melodic death, it’s not new, but it’s delivered in a way that suggests it was an itch to scratch, a short blast to start us off. The Blackened Temple returns to the blackened realm, and there is literally night and day between the two, in approach, craft and quality. There is an urgency to it, building and building, throwing those little flourishes as it races to the finish line. Not Even Death has one of those massive starts and has this swing to it. There are a ton of great touches in here as they throw the melodic kitchen sink at it, with every stroke hitting the target. It’s such a supreme effort that it has everything going for it, even in the closing riffs that bring more steel to it. In an album of great songs, this is a standout, it is a classic. Title track The Way of Ancients has to follow this showstopper, and wisely avoids trying to outdo it straight out of the gate. A more measured build, this one goes for that swinging, drinking Scandinavian feel to it. As soon as you hear it, you will know exactly what I mean. It finishes this album off on a triumphant note and is an epic closer. It’s an incredibly impressive album, one where each song has something different to offer the one before or after. There are no weak tracks here, even the aforementioned Seven Tombs is still a good effort, it’s just that it pales when compared against the others here, especially with the one-two of Not Even Death / The Way of Ancients hitting the way they do. It is a fantastic release, one that is worthy of your time.