Wraithfyre – Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms Review
By Dear Hollow
Not that I’m the biggest symphonic black aficionado out there, but the UK-based Wraithfyre appealed to me because its name and inconsistent uses of i’s and y’s reflected my band in high school.1 Regardless, like some of atmoblack’s more ancient conjurations, I’ve always felt like symphonic black a la Limbonic Art, Vordven, and Cult of Fire embody more extreme versions of their trve and pvrist second-wave counterparts, a direct antithesis to the more mainstream antics of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth. Wraithfyre professes likewise an icy blast of black metal.
A project from Tom O’Dell, mastermind behind the Tolkien-inspired black metal of Dwarrowdelf and instrumental deathgrind Gimli, Son of Glóin, as well as the power metalling Battle Born, Wraithfyre offers a different, decidedly second-wave attack. While too often symphonic black metal sees its cold and icy buried beneath the bombast of keys and choirs, debut Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms is no stranger to the riff. Instead utilizing macabre atmosphere as a flourish to its viciousness, O’Dell puts thorny riffs and scathing melodic lines upon the pedestal with its keys as the supporting cast. While it periodically struggles with memorability, Wraithfyre offers an obscenely entertaining debut.
You would be forgiven to believe that intro “A Lunar Descent” sets the tone for sprawling symphonic decadence. Wraithfyre kicks the gate open with icy blast with “Fallen Before Their Blazing Altar,” whose intensity is well-matched with its memorable central melody that straddles memorability and iciness in equal measure, keys supplementing the riffs. This trend continues into the juxtaposition of bouncy tremolo and aggressive plodding of “Queen of the Blighted Throne” and “Eternal Pyres from Beyond the Void,” the instrumental-focused exploration of “Infernal Heresy,” and the blastbeat-dominated intensity and chuggy riffs of “Echoes of a Forgotten Dream.” Moods of desperation, horror, and aggression are offered with seamless fluidity atop scathing tremolo, while edged riffs anchor the sound beyond mindless second-wave blasting. Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms is raw and intense, recalling a tasteful fusion of black metal’s lo-fi history and the more modern thrash-infused incarnations of The Infernal Sea or Toxic Holocaust.
While there is plenty killer aboard the summit Of Fell Peaks, Wraithfyre concocts unfortunate filler. While the instrumental explorations of “Infernal Heresy” and “Eternal Pyres from Beyond the Void” are mile markers along the spooky journey, tracks “Ablaze in Abyssal Frosts” blurs into the scenery while closer “Dark Souls Devoured” features a slightly wonky melody that questions its integrity, even if its plodding riffs feel emotive and powerful. That said, with very few blights, Of Fell Peaks feels safely constructed – while it never explicitly fails, its safety ensures its ambition is also kept in check. While featuring that signature vampiric sound, O’Dell has infused in it a thrashy riffage approach that won’t change your mind about either style. It also doesn’t mean to, with this debut being a fun romp but little else.
Everything about Wraithfyre feels fun. It wraps you in its logic and sweeps you to a place more reminiscent of Scooby-Doo than the depravity of men’s hearts, kicking you repeatedly in the nuts until you like it. It features a tasteful blend of keys and riffs, with the former the supporting cast rather than the decadent self-indulgence found too often in the style. Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms is also another installment of bulletproof songwriting offered by Tom O’Dell, although nearly everything about Wraithfyre feels like a side project in its frolicking intensity. However, featuring flashy musicianship, tasteful atmosphere, and powerful songwriting, it enhances second-wave iciness in bombastic fashion. I dare you to listen to Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms and not have a good time.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Naturemacht Productions
Website: wraithfyre.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024
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