New Jersey’s black metal band Death Fortress had two incredible releases and are returning with 2017’s Fallen Empire Records of Triumph Of The Undying. First off, this album is incredibly aggressive while it mainly concentrates a much more quicker, diverse and experimented style of black metal with the production displayed here is unfortunately bit spotty. Music wise, the guitar and bass tones provide frantic energy that sort of reminded me of Immortal for its blackened atmospheric passages while eschewing serious bestial death metal inspired lyricism. From the cavernous and devilishly evil passages, rippling blast beats, malice and moody vocal deliveries, morbid atmospheres of the band’s melodic and well interpreted songwriting they’ve managed to not only make a album that’s blistering cold but to come out of the US black metal scene is a fresh breath of air.
Take the songs Wisdom of the Unspoken and Warrior’s Mantle for instance, it’s no surprise the band unleashed their curious craft without any remorse nor restraint as the frostbitten melodies effortlessly captures the album’s majesty and in its purest, unadulterated and menacing moods possible. Whatever undead species you came from, Death Fortress’s Triumph Of The Undying is a album that takes the listener into a not so magical universe to unleash battlecries, bloodthirsty echoes of raged voices and a comfortably lo-fi production to showcase they’re doing a hefty of a job doing what they think is best for the music.
Overall Score: 9.0/10
Review by Jake Butler
