ALBUM REVIEW: Under The Reviled Throne – Summoning The Lich

Producing an album is one thing, but creating a whole fantasy world is going above and beyond. Returning after three years of extensive touring and riding the success of their debut album, SUMMONING THE LICH return with their sophomore album and second enthralling act in the Lich trilogy: Under The Reviled Throne.

Metal, especially power metal, is no stranger to fantasy themes and concepts. Even if tales of genocide, dark magic or mythical corruption are at the centre, it’s a welcome breather from the topical and often hard-hitting matters of the real world that feature in many albums. Marrying this theming with a brutal blend of technical and melodic death metal is an exceptional formula that SUMMONING THE LICH are on their way to finessing. 

The St. Louis four-piece have, once again, nailed the storytelling and songwriting on this record. Following on from the malevolent rise of Lich in debut United In Chaos, this latest record is conversely a tale of hope and resistance against the dark forces. Intertwining death metal subgenres with deathcore and blackened moments really brings the concept and world to life. The lyrics divulge the finer details of the tale while the abrupt pace changes, duelling riffs and intense blasts convey the scorched atmosphere telling as much of a story as the words. 

The majority of Under The Reviled Throne races through at a million mph. Lightning fast track The Forest Feasts is disorientatingly powerful and the tormenting rushes in Arrias Groans feel akin to sinking 10 shots of espresso. However, the album is far from one (rather fast) note and the move towards a more streamlined and structured approach is evident. The speed, ferocity and technical melodies are well balanced, each track feeling unique and packed with personality and purpose. The unexpected strings in Reviled Crystal Welders and the instrumental cut seep in at just the right moment, offering solace after the brutal onslaught of aggressive savagery, while the brain-seizing melodies and choruses leave you desperate to listen all over again. 

Alongside the insane blast beats, winding riffs and thick basslines, the vocals take the form of another instrument. Blending effortlessly into the tone and flow of each track and managing to squeeze more syllables into each line than seems humanly possible, David Bruno’s range is seriously impressive. Switching between gritty gutturals and sinister shrieks, Bruno enthusiastically narrates the story, adding multiple layers to an already impressive backdrop and leaving you utterly speechless. 

Under The Reviled Throne slots in with the phenomenal calibre of tech and melodeath being released this year. The combination of dark fantasy with remorseless heaviness is a recipe for greatness that SUMMONING THE LICH have tapped into. We will have to wait until the final instalment to find out the fate of Arrias. But, in the meantime, Under The Reviled Throne is a record to be revisited, to relive the horrors of Lich’s tyranny and to grace your ears with a pummelling of aggressive death metal. 

Rating: 8/10

Under The Reviled Throne is out now via Prosthetic Records.

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