THANATEROS – Tranceforming

I distinctly recall reviewing the previous two offerings by Thanateros, namely Insomnia (2020) and On Fragile Wings (2022), and back then I was of the opinion that the German outfit had a lot of good ideas and that their records contained promise and potential. In other words, the albums had their noteworthy and enjoyable moments without necessarily setting the world on fire. It is therefore rather cool to see and hear that these chaps have sharpened their claws and conjured up a more focused and interesting opus than its predecessors, which is primarily down to the strength of the melodies, the flow of the songs, and the consistency in terms of atmosphere.

Their blend of dark rock and folk-inspired metal carrying a pagan vibe works rather well throughout, and the feeling of melancholy that pervades the song material is oftentimes beguiling, which again ties in with the catchy yet mournful melodies that weave their subtle magic throughout. The vocals are an acquired taste, and I must admit that it took me a little while getting used to them when I encountered Thanateros a few years ago, but they do envelop such memorable and elegantly written compositions as “Everything Decays,” “Hagazussa,” “Feel the Fire (Goddess 24),” and “I Am All” in a bittersweet aura with a subtle touch of arcane yearning to it. The production does leave something to be desired in that a punchier production and a slightly brighter sound would have brought out the textures, nuances, and layers of the music more, which is to say that the disc simply lacks the necessary spark in that department, but said gripe does not detract from the fact that the LP’s Celtic- and Gothic-inspired material succeeds in keeping this scribe engaged and entertained more or less from start to finish. Without doubt their finest work to date.