Band: THE ELYSIAN FIELDS
Country: Greece
Title: New World Misanthropia
Label: Hammer of Damnation
Year: 2019
Style: Doom Death Metal
Review:
This is one of the most surprising come-backs for 2019, for sure, except for the close friends of the band I don't know who else was expecting The Elysian Fields to drop a new album this year. Funny thing is I was listening to the back-catalog (even the demo from when they were Desulphurize) not long ago. The band always kept and keeps the same path: Doom Black Death Metal, apart from the Suffering G.O.D. Almighty album experiment if you will, but this time it's more symphonic and grandiose then ever, the new technical means allow them to offer a wider, more in depth expression of their vision on evil music. Just imagine a mix of Greek Septicflesh and Rotting Christ with Polish Behemoth and Hate even a bit of Dimmu Borgir and you're on the right track, although The Elysian Fields have their own identity for sure, the vocals are the same than ever, and the piano / keys inserts here and there only calm the music for the moment just to build again into an atmospheric, apocalyptic, grandiose soundtrack for the end of the world. 9 tracks in 46 minutes of playing time, enough to drive the listeners into a turbulent, stormy, terrifying atmosphere, The Elysian Fields are back in style with probably their most epic output (not sure if it's their best, but certainly it's the most grandiose), and with its release Hammer of Damnation makes its way among the heaviest labels of the genre, although they were building and paving this way for a long time now.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 9/10