Review Summary: Light bows to the eclipse.
Having been around for almost 20 years now, Veil of Pnath only has a handful of releases on their backs, but each one with its own merit. Starting off as a straightforward modern technical death metal band, their first two albums “The Prodigal Empire” in 2011 and “II” in 2016 were bread and butter for any fan of names like Necrophagist, Obscura or Beyond Creation, right up to the release of the EP “Accursed” in 2019. At that point in time, a solid yet not completely original turn towards more blackened death / melodic black metal territories was taken, slightly transforming their sound into what has now flourished with the band’s third full length album “Between the Worlds of Life and Death”.
In case you somehow missed “Accursed” and haven’t listened to Vale of Pnath’s music since 2016, you may be taken aback by the noticeable change that the band has undergone with this record, almost fully leaving tech death affiliations of their early days behind. While there’s sparse instances here and there that still waive at Necrophagist from a distance, the majority of the compositional content of “Between the Worlds of Life and Death” brings forth a standard palette of polished blackened death metal with a good chunk of symphonic elements, which is overall more atmospheric than savage compared to their earlier material. What keeps the album floating is the ongoing fusion of the genres they currently touch upon, which maintains the intrigue as the tracks progress and Vale of Pnath never fall into the trap of being “yet another band playing like that”.
All the orchestral parts of “Between the Worlds of Life and Death” are well-composed and often in the spotlight, without being overused or taking any space from the rest of the instrumentation. In fact, the ominous introduction “The Forgotten Path” as well as the “Echoes of the Past” interlude towards the album’s end are standalone highlights. At the few times that clean piano melodies are also employed (e.g. in “Soul Offering”) it feels like Vale of Pnath emulates Dimmu Borgir a bit, but thankfully only for a second before spewing a bit more of their own brutality in the mix. Playing faster and more intensely is also executed perfectly, like in “Beneath Ashen Skies”, the middle of “Shadow” or the ending of “No Return, No Regret”, and often the tracks are jeweled with wonderful solos either at middle or higher speeds to remind the listener of the band’s potent tech background.
Still, I think the album would go a long way with a bit of more natural production than what it has now, coming across as relatively mild without adding to the tracks the tension they deserve. This is notable in the guitar sound but even more so in the slightly underwhelming impact of the drums, or during some slower parts in tunes such as “Uncertain Tomorrow” or the closing piece “Burning Light”, which ultimately feel emptier due to this issue. Despite that, musicianship or level of inspiration doesn’t really disappoint in “Between the Worlds of Life and Death”, and there’s something to find in all the tracks. Take for example, the sudden tempo switch during the third minute of “Silent Prayers”, where the band abruptly cuts the speed to play a riff that’s essentially Immortal’s “Tyrants” but with a twist, and done nicely.
In 2024, Vale of Pnath start from a vision initially conceived in “Accursed” five years earlier, expand upon it through a procedure that has molded them into more of a symphonic / blackened death metal band by now, and they definitely have the appetite for it. “Between the Worlds of Life and Death” has nice flow and memorable song writing, which makes for an engaging listening experience even if it is not flawless, and illustrates a new direction taken by the band that may fit them even more than what we previously knew them for. As they always seem to take their time with new material, this record has enough for us to chew on for a while but in any way, the future looks bright and exciting.
