It has been four long years since Hoth released their amazing album entitled Oathbreaker and I for one was flooded with excitement once the announcement was made that a new album was in the works. And here it is folks, prepare yourselves for Astral Necromancy.
Journey into the new chapter for this extremely talented band and mind you they deserve far more recognition than a lot of other bands of the like. Astral Necromancy is a dark journey filled with black magic rituals and corruption. Hoth are one of those bands who take storytelling to the next level, each song stands as a new chapter.
Taking a different approach musically compared to their last album this serves as a powerhouse of intense riffage, cold icy melodies, momentous drumming, and crisp vocals which as a whole can stand right up there with our brethren in the Scandinavian Metal Scene. Straying away from the synth side of things as heard on Oathbreaker, this treads on a more straightforward “in your face” path but nonetheless just as epic and infectious.
Drawing inward from the outright emotion, there is a sense of tangible darkness heard in each track and paired with the amazing lyrics this could very well be ripped from the pages of a journal, dripping with inner turmoil and chaos.
Astral Necromancy is definitely an album that grows on you more and more with each listen and is worth giving it a few spins because you discover something new each time only adding to the fact that this is one fantastic slab of music. This is not a bad thing at all, in fact it enhances the journey. So sit back and let it develop and you may find yourself grappling with celestial blackness.
Rating: 4.5/5
The Metal Wanderlust 