Deathless Legacy – Mater Larvarum
Release Date: 9th December 2022
Label: Scarlet Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Occult Horror Metal, Gothic Metal, Symphonic Metal, Progressive Metal, Classic Metal.
FFO: Ghost, Type O Negative, Paradise Lost, Mister Misery.
Review By: Mark Waight
Mater Larvarum is the sixth album by creative metal band Deathless Legacy. Mater Larvarum is a fantastic fusion of Gothic, Symphonic, Progressive and Classic Heavy Metal that captivates the mind, soul and spirit with its atmospheric keyboards and orchestral arrangements. The female vocals are clean, sensually high and low, blending perfectly with the dark and powerful soul of the music.
Deathless Legacy is Steva (vocals), Sgt Bones (guitar), Alex Van Eden (keyboards), Deadwood Nick (bass), Frater Orion (drums) and Revyla (performances).
First track Ora Pro Nobis slowly opens the door to a dark gothic world with its epic cathedral like choral arrangements, heavy bass undertones and a dextrous guitar solo from Sgt Bones. A great tone setter, and a great opening to the album.
Nightfall gives you another side to the band, dragging you further down into the pits of despair right from the off, with a clever touch of The Doors style keyboards from Alex Van Eden and the very gritty vocals of Steva. Whereas the more traditional, Hollow, is a proper Classic Metal tune with a slightly quicker pace to it, superb gravely rock vocals and is sure to get your blood pumping with is call to arms.
Fade into the Dark starts off very gently, but the intensity soon begins to grow into a groovy ghoulish guitar fest and doomsday finale, then an intense opening drum sequence from Frater Orion introduces us to The Coven with its higher vocals, faster pace and brilliantly executed guitar playing that’s as hot as a witch’s execution pyre.
Absolution is beautifully dark with its heavy bass undercurrent from Deadwood Nick that fully enhances the incredible standout vocal performance from Steva – what a track! Moonless Night is a more modern and Progressive style offering with a glimpse into what other strings Deathless Legacy have to their bow, should they choose to expand them to other themes for future albums.
Queen of the Infernal Pantheon is delivered at lightning speed with such intensity and fire that it will even cause the dead to rise from their graves! The track is delivered with slick hooks against a dark and gothic backdrop. The now recently risen dead will thoroughly enjoy Alter of Bones, a deeply gloomy song with ghostly keyboards, wailing vocals and screaming guitars that will rattle your bones and haunt your very thoughts.
Penultimate track Run is fantastically fiendish, just listen to the keyboards in the background as they are sure to remind you of old classic horror films – love it! The curtain closer and title-track, Mater Larvarum, finishes the album off with a full-on spooky anthem, complete with ghostly vocals, choral vocals and mesmerizing clean vocals combined with some very wicked guitars.
I can sum Mater Larvarum up in one word, “wow”! Mater Larvarum has a beautifully haunting gothic theme with extraordinary clean female vocals and is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves their music on the darker side of life but doesn’t like the constant need by many bands to resort to growling vocals.
2022 has been a year of many fine releases, but Mater Larvarum by Deathless Legacy is absolutely my favourite release of the year so far, and with only a few weeks to go now I cannot see it being surpassed. It’s a very late addition to my Christmas wish list.
(4.5 / 5)
