ALBUM REVIEW: The Suns of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden – Panzerfaust

Canada’s PANZERFAUST supply a unique and blistering form of black metal which stands out amongst its contemporaries. Their latest effort, The Suns of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden is the latest instalment in a planned four-part album series exploring the darkest moments of the past century. Such a task is a truly herculean undertaking, but PANZERFAUST may just have what it takes to see it through.

Opener Promethean Fire begins with a hauntingly atmospheric intro which gives way to a truly thunderous cacophony, with sonorous vocals which snarl and bark assertively across the panzer-crawl of bass drums and wailing guitars to tremendous effect. This furore eventually fades and gives way to a melodic bridge which is further accentuated by an excellent guest vocal performance provided by Masha Arkhipova of ARKONA, swirling icily around the uneasy calm of its backing, building the atmosphere of the piece to a new high.

The inexorable auditory death march resumes with the technicality of The Faustian Pact, which balances subtle, tight riff work played against some impressive drumming, which is varied and exciting enough to keep a commanding tone throughout and allows a brief moment of respite before the speed is kicked up into high gear with Areopagica. This track alternates between pulverising grooves and faster shredding segments of machine-gun intensity at a moment’s notice before slowing into a melodic outro, almost to prepare the listener for what is to follow.

The Snare Of The Fowler takes the blueprint laid out by what has gone previously and takes it all one step further. The drumming included here is phenomenal, with recent addition Alexander Kartashov delivering a powerhouse performance. Reminiscent of MGŁA, this track is both intense and terrifying but with brilliant melodic passages woven throughout. Slower melodic breaks, chugging grooves and blast beats all tie together and flow seamlessly here to make a true highlight of this album and possibly their best track to date. Finally comes Pascal’s Wager, which provides a final salvo of brooding fury before fading triumphantly to close the album with a cold, calm acoustic piece.

The Suns of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden is both highly polished and technically proficient, definitely an improvement on their earlier material. It provides a tempering of the sound that has gone before, refining it into deeper and more expressive shades of darkness but without giving an inch on the pummelling intensity and relentless musicianship.

Every aspect of this record is excellent, there are no weak links instrumentally and they do not fight for attention due to a clear knowledge of song writing, almost every aspect is allowed time to be explored before the band move on to another quality section.  The guitar work is rich and varied, the bass sounds absolutely titanic and the drums display a flair which can often make them feel like they are in fact the lead instrument, a rare feat, particularly in black metal. All of this is interlaced with a heart-stopping vocal performance by frontman Goliath, which locks the attention of the listener firmly into the bleak indignance of the music and refuses to let go.

In summation, PANZERFAUST have provided an excellent follow up to an already devastating formula, expanding on what worked so well for them in the past. This is a rewarding and satisfying listen and if another jump in quality of this size is to be expected, then the inevitable Suns Of Perdition III will definitely be something that will demand your attention.

Rating: 9/10

The Suns of Perdition II: Render Unto Eden is out now via Eisenwald. 

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