Elffor - Unholy Throne of Doom (Album Review)

Elffor - Unholy Throne of Doom

Release date: 22/4/2020

Label: Independent
Written by: J.C.L

Birthed in 1998 and hailing from the Basque country, Elffor, whose mix of black metal, dungeon synth and symphonic elements has earned his project a name with his great and numerous releases. The mastermind, Eöl, is also playing with another legendary Basque band Numen, who released a comeback album last year. Two weeks ago he released his 16th album as Elffor; Unholy Throne of Doom.

The soundscape evokes images of mystery and darkness, of misty landscapes and forgotten times. As the album starts with opening track “March of the Dead Souls”, the listener is treated an opening piece of triumphant marching music and faint Mongolian throat singing, before launching into the track proper. First observations is that the production puts more emphasis on the musical arrangements than the vocals, which is treated like a faint static, almost as on "Filosofem". The synth/keys are given a central place in the soundscape, as they carry much of the atmosphere, weaving more somber atmospheric parts seamlessly with fast-paced blasting and tremolo-guitars. Each track has something different going to them, yet this effort feels focused, and there is never too much divergence from the core idea.

In short, "Unholy Thrones of Doom" treats the listener to 46 minutes of music that would make any fan of 90’s Dimmu Borgir misty eyed with nostalgia, and it still feels like it's more than capable of standing on it's own. The great lead guitar parts “March of the Dead Souls” giving way to the masterfully done synth-work. Later on the album on "Old Wizards Cavern", 4½ minutes in, the listener is treated to a riff that would have slotted perfectly into a Numen song, which should come as no surprise, since these two projects are related. Likewise, both bands draws heavily from Basque folk music, utilizing flutes as well as the almost bagpipe-like sound of the Alboka. Midway through the closing song “Kaosaren Profezia”, this instrument completely steals the show, transforming a song that was more in the footsteps of Emperor and Satyricon into a Black/folk piece, while still keeping the dark and melancholic undertones. The synergy between the instruments and especially the relentless drums on this final song also deserve praise in pushing this album to it's absolute climax.

Eöl - Elffor

One thing that I really like about this album is the great cover-art by Igor Mugerza, long time artist of Elffor's cover art, as well as numerous other bands from Spain and the rest of the world. His art here, with it's two flanking plague doctors, feels somehow appropriate, given the current world situation.
Another thing I’d like to commend is the usage of the Basque language in half of the songs. This language, unrelated to any other, with less than a million speakers and tucked between two of the world's major tongues, Spanish and French, has managed to survive for so many years in spite of everything. Seeing its usage in Black metal is something that brings joy to this linguists heart. Of course, some of the songs are still in English, but I’m still grateful for the indigenous flavor that Elffor uses here, even though I understand next to nothing of it.

Bringing this review to a close, I can say that this is a record that probably is gonna rank up there on my yearly list, and I can only give Elffor my firmest recommendation for any fans of black with symphonic and dungeon synth elements. While you are at it, I can also recommend listening to Numen's self-titled album as well, if you want more of what this album offers. Eöl and his companions more than prove that they are masterful composers of dark music with "Unholy Thrones of Doom".

I give this album

Out of 6

Favorite tracks: March of the Dead Souls, Kaosaren Profezia
Tracklist:

1. March of the Dead Souls
2. Basoaren Marmarrak
3. Old Wizards Cavern
4. Kaosaren Profezia

Elffor bandcamp:
https://elffor.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/EolFFOR/