HALPHAS – Dawn of a Crimson Empire
- Posted on 01-07-2019
"Dawn of a Crimson Empire" by the relatively new black metal outfit (they had only existed for a couple of years when they released this record) from Germany that is Halphas is another output from late 2017 that Folter Records mailed our way lately. Even though it may no longer be considered newsworthy as such, it is a most definitely an album deserving wider recognition, so let us run through this review rather quickly, shall we?
Following an ominous and rather well-crafted ambient-like intro, Halphas more or less unleash an aggressive and highly intense maelstrom of dark and sinister melodies, solid vocals, and a dense aura that encompasses both rage and a beautiful sense of grandeur. I am actually quite surprised by the fact that these foul fuckers have only been conjuring up these epic soundscapes of theirs for a few years, because "Dawn of a Crimson Empire" undoubtedly comes across as a captivating piece of work by what sounds like a group of seasoned pros who have been reveling in proper underground black metal for years. Despite its lack of originality, this record is rich in atmosphere and there is hardly anything to complain about with respect to the musicianship and the production values.
As far as more traditional-sounding black metal albums go, "Dawn of a Crimson Empire" is pretty damn good not to mention varied and catchy. Favorite cuts include the trance-inducing "Through the Forest" (which does indeed evoke a sense of walking through a forest at night) and the majestic "Sword of the Necromancer".