Sear Bliss – Eternal Recurrence

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After an almost complete line-up change and several years since the band’s last album, Sear Bliss finally return with a new album. The band’s new opus Eternal Recurrence feels like its own little departure from ’07′s acclaimed The Arcane Odyssey. There’re still some black’n'roll-ish moments like the main riff of A Lost Cause, but the album has a much warmer feel. At times such as Ballad of the Shipwrecked – ignoring the atypical black metal vocals – it almost feels like stoner metal with its droning guitars and doom-influenced tone. Some of the traits that Sear Bliss have become known for still exist – the somewhat bizarre use of brass horns continues, with trumpets returning instead of trombones. Trumpets do suit the sound a lot better – especially when muted, which makes the music sound nervous and anticipating. The album on the whole comes across as a much more introspective record, with far more slower and contemplative parts – and even frequent use of droning, ominous clean vocals. Really good use of fretless bass makes the album sound ever progressive, as does the epic guitar playing that closes There’s No Shadow Without Light, not that Sear Bliss were in danger of not sounding progressive. There is often a psychedelic black metal feel that might suggest a saner Sigh, or perhaps a far less misanthropic Nachtmystium – the album’s closer, Entering The Seventh Gate, shows both the band’s psychedelic and black metal influences at their fullest. Mostly though the album has incredible depth and a great deal of influences that make for an unpredictable but very intriguing black metal album – a great return for the Hungarians after such a long absence.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2012, Albums, Black Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Sear Bliss