Review: Volcandra Show Us the Way On The Way of Ancients

It’s always interesting when a band is able to blur the line between genres and make it difficult to describe exactly what they are. Splitting hairs over the minutiae which separate this subgenre from that subgenre and arguing over which one is the best is a pastime that borders on outright sport for metalheads, and over time we’ve gotten very good at it. For better or worse it’s become an indelible part of our culture, and it’s only going to get more complicated as time goes on. Metal is a kaleidoscope with countless variations and possibilities, but at the end of the day each one shares two common functions: expression and entertainment. As long as it accomplishes those two things, then it’s done its job.

So, where do Louisville, Kentucky’s Volcandra fall on this spectrum? Somewhere between black metal and really good melodic death metal, by my reckoning, and their newest album The Way of Ancients is an excellent balancing act between the two. As is requisite, there are of course plenty of rolling blast beats on top of tremolo picked riffs and raspy high screams, as well as bleak imagery invoking the besmirchment of some symbol of hope and beauty or another, but there’s a lot more to it than just that. There’s an inherent hype and bounciness to it too, along with a variety of well written, triumphant lead guitar sections which add a genuine sense of atmosphere, but not the typical reverb-heavy ethereal atmosphere one would normally associate with black metal. Maybe “vibe” is a better word for it. Whatever it is, it’s a lot of fun.

The opening track “Birth of the Nephalem” starts off slow and easy, building off of a relatively simple and lulling melody that remains present in some form or another throughout a good portion of the song, even after it completely shifts gears into the familiar flurry of double bass and snarling vocals. It’s a fun ride, definitely more death metal than black metal, but the telltale chill of the frozen north can be felt ever so slightly on the breeze it leaves in its wake. The follow-up track “Fouled Sanctity”, on the other hand, is essentially a full-on thrash song, with the only thing missing being a shred-happy dive bombing guitar solo. There is a nice little melodic line thrown in right around where you would expect one to be, but it’s actually quite reserved, opting to let the riffs and vocals speak for themselves. A nice touch, if you ask me.

Now, hang on a minute, haven’t I basically been hyping this thing up as a black metal album this whole time? Two songs in and there’s barely been a hint of it, could I have been mistaken and spoken too hastily? Nope, just wait until you get to the next song “Nemesis Confession”. Ahh, there it is. There’s that creepy piano intro that makes you think of a crumbling castle on a mountaintop which then leads right into the blast beats and demonic howling from the depths of the abyss. It took three whole songs to get there, but now we’ve finally run the gamut and experienced the full spectrum of Volcandra’s sound, which frankly is a testament to the band’s songwriting prowess.

With the template now established, the rest of the album follows through on it nicely, weaving seamlessly between black metal and upbeat, melodic, not quite tech death in a way that keeps things fresh and interesting from start to finish. From the gang chants in “Seven Tombs” (see the hilarious music video below) to the blast beats over the slow clean guitars at the end of the penultimate track “Not Even Death”, every song has something slightly unexpected but never out of place, all of which makes for an extremely engaging listen. Even the closing title track makes excellent use of its seven-and-a-half-minute runtime, closing out with a huge high note and then fading back into the ether from whence it came on the back of a soothing melody. Who knew black metal could sound so… pretty?

When it comes to melodic death metal, a lot of albums start off really strong with but kind of taper off as they go and leave the rest of the songs feeling like filler, but not this one. Volcandra are clearly aware of this dynamic, and as such they have taken care to balance their melodies with just the right amount of speed and harshness to maintain a high standard all the way through. The Way of Ancients is fast, heavy, smartly written, euphonious, and just plain fun to listen to. If you’re looking for something that hits hard but goes down smooth like an expensive chilled vodka, then this is the album for you.

The Way of Ancients is available now via Prosthetic Records, order your copy here