Fire and ice have always entangled themselves in a tug-of-war, a relationship as old as time. Together, fire, the more aggressive, grandiose element, and ice, the solid, more submissive counterpart, create a symphony of symbiosis. Upon the flames, ice sizzles away, transitions into vapor, drifts with the wind and is set free.
In 2019, Australian melodic blackened death metal outfit King followed up their debut full-length Reclaim the Darkness with their sophomore effort Coldest of Cold. While Coldest of Cold was a significant improvement, this isn’t to say Reclaim the Darkness was a lacking release. Perhaps I was looking for a bit more out of it. But songs like “All in Black” and “My Destination the Stars” brought back memories of hearing Immortal’s “Tyrants” and “Within the Dark Mind” for the first time. As you’d expect, there’s also Satyricon and Dissection and some early Amon Amarth, all of which they’ve kept in their back pockets along the way.
As I’ve said, Coldest of Cold was a solid foundation, but they’ve optimized their sound and approach to album construction this time around the sun. The power of nature’s more hellish element burns bright on Fury and Death with tracks like “Into the Fire” and “Perception Ignited.” However, what burns even brighter is how—for lack of a better cliché adjective—massive the album comes across in the grand scheme of things. King uses a straight-up instrumental for the first time as the album’s curtain jerker with “Mist.” Again, even the tiny details of setting the stage with this track speak volumes, much like “At the Fathomless Depths” does on Storm of the Light’s Bane. “Mist” is a melancholic, folky tune, successfully ushering in a sonic scenery of mountains and the heart of woodlands, imagery routinely found within the confines of the 42-minute opus. But an intro is nothing without its transition into the first official track—which can be hit or miss—but King nails it as the album merges into “Perception Ignited.” Mid-paced, melodic riffs lay over breakneck drumming for a blood-pumping song, guided by variations of black metal-style vocals heavier than 20 tons of molten rock. The latter half of the track presents some of the heaviest riffs on the album, and while we’re in the presence of flames here, there’s some At the Heart of Winter on this one with a less frigid vocal approach, perhaps.
The next track, “Volcano,” briefly slows things down before picking right back up with soaring arpeggios and a ribcage-rattling rhythm section. King also takes these intermittent, hollowed, deep spoken-word transitions that allow for moments of respite before they dig their claws right back in. The final minute-and-a-half eases the song’s tension before a sendoff with tribal chants and screams of v o l c a n o—indeed, a spectacle of a piece. “Mountains of Ice” is one of the calmer offerings on the album. There are some nice traditional tremolo-picked black metal melodies and a brief solo on this one, and the skin-piercing vocal performance feels much colder than prior tracks. It’s a quick song compared to the others at just over three-and-a-half minutes, but it gets the job done—quality over quantity here. “Black Dimensions” fades in with chugging guitar parts but quickly becomes an adventurous track that feels like descending from the highlands into a crimson battle. It’s fast, heavy, and has the nature of a power metal epic. Of course, done in a blackened death metal way, the hands-reaching-for-the-sky riffing is almost heroic. You’ll see. Wait until that solo hits and the fist-pumping outro kicks in to add finality to the A-side.
The album’s B-side is strong, too. Starting with “Once and For All,” King launches the second half with a track that would make fans of any Swedish melodeath enthusiast, consisting of some of the most beautiful lead playing on the album. In addition, the song’s hooks are some of the catchiest on Fury and Death when we’re met with the battle cry: “Take a look at me, and you shall see, I’ll take your soul once and for all.” The next track, “Into the Fire,” feels like a continuation of the uber melodic, intimidating and aggressive “Once and For All,” as the chorus belts: “I’ll send you away to a world of fire and flames where your dreams will die—your soul is mine.” Next is “Death in the Cosmos,” a brilliant change of pace with a near-minute-long melancholic intro and subsequent more relaxed time signatures—at times—compared to the previous two. An astronomical bridge also helps close this thing out—another standout track on the album.
“Crepuscular” makes way for the coup de grace with a 2000s-era extreme metal vibe with more huge choruses and a pleasantly woven hypnotic solo. While it struck a few nostalgia chords with me, it’s done in a way that still feels fresh and is ideally placed within the tracklisting. As the final blow, King sends us flying out on a high note with “To the Stars.” The tooth-grinding riff on the track—you’ll know which one—is undoubtedly my favorite riff on the album.
With the release of Fury and Death and its laser focus on optimal song compositions, King has emerged as a potential commanding force in the realm of extreme metal. The journey from Reclaim the Darkness to Coldest of Cold laid the groundwork. Now, with their latest effort, they’ve ascended the metaphorical mountain, avoiding the pitfalls of stagnation and regression. Fury and Death is not a slow burn; it plunges into the molten coals, leaving an indelible mark in your psyche. The blazing speeds and soaring riffs that reach cosmic heights make Fury and Death as captivating as it is punishing. It’s worth every moment of your time and more.
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Josh the new guy!
This sounds pretty good. Wasn’t familiar with this band before but your review cleared that up. I do hear some Immortal in there, though that’s mainly from the vocals I think.