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| #FOR FANS OF: Black Metal |
When we speak about the most relevant black metal scenes in Europe, I guess many of us will think of the Scandinavian or the Slavic ones, which have given us many great projects. Other highly interesting scenes are sometimes overlooked, such as the Italian one, where you can find excellent projects playing the most diverse types of black metal, from Forgotten Tomb to Graveworm or Aborym, quality and diversity go hand in hand.
This time we focus our attention on a lesser-known project called Lorn. Founded in 1999, the band has suffered some line-up changes, although founding member Radok has been the true creative force during this time. The pace in the release of new albums has not been particularly high, but Lorn has released some enjoyable albums, like the previous one, 'Arrayed Claws'. Black metal is obviously the genre played by Lorn, as this project combines rawness and atmosphere in a very interesting way. The number of members involved has decreased over time, and currently Radok is the only permanent member who has crafted and released the new opus entitled 'Searing Blood'.
The new effort has a slightly raw production, which is particularly noticeable in the raspy tone of the guitars. Lorn wants to sound old-school, as I think Radok considers that this sort of production reflects the genre’s essence more honestly. Another particularity of this album is the contrast in the pace and approach of the songs depending on where they are placed in the album. For example, the album begins with the most aggressive and fast compositions, such as the excellent album opener "Searing Blood". Relentless drums and sharp riffs are combined with the expected raspy screams. These are the most straightforward compositions, even though there is always room for atmosphere, as Lorn includes some background keys in certain parts of the first two songs. On the other hand, the middle section of the album contains the longest tracks, where slow and mid-tempo sections play a much greater role. "Leuchtenburg" is a slow-paced track where ambience is even more present, also including some acoustic guitars that enrich the composition. The pace is increased a bit in the next and second-longest song, entitled ‘Gallows’, where keys and the atmospheric essence in general are absolutely predominant. But it is the album closer, "Threshold’s Tragedy", that merges both sides of this album, achieving the best result in my opinion. I consider this to be the best-crafted track, as it combines speedy sections with mid-tempo and slow ones. Furthermore, the use of the keys here is also excellent in both quality and quantity, creating the most majestic track of this effort.
'Searing Blood' is undoubtedly an enjoyable album. The dense and dark atmosphere captivates the listener, while the diversity in the songs' pace can be interesting too. In any case, it is when both sides of this album’s approach converge, as happens in the final track, that Lorn achieves the best result. Exploring this well-done fusion is something its mastermind should consider for future releases. (Alain González Artola)
(I, Voidhanger Records - 2026)
Score: 76