The Iranian band Eternal Candle return four years after their excellent debut The Carved Karma with a new work of great merit, continuing to offer death doom with progressive and melodic traits that are quite original and engaging. Lava, the new work by the band led by Mahdi Vaezpour, comes out at a time when in that historical cradle of civilisation a rebellion is underway against the prevarications of a regime blinded by religious obtuseness; This is not the place to discuss such delicate topics but, beyond the rightful support for those who risk their lives just for protesting in the streets (and to think that here in Italy there were those who whined and cried out about the “health dictatorship” just because they had to wear a mask during the pandemic…), talking about this album makes us realise how the unstoppable power of culture and art cannot be caged by any diktat, religious or otherwise. Lava is an album that enjoys an uncommon freshness and intensity, made up of eight songs that oscillate between progressive impulses and the display of excellent technique put at the service of a varied and brilliant writing and violent and well-finished death metal outbursts, a sort of dichotomy that is well exemplified by the opening double act formed by the kaleidoscopic The Nun and the ferocious The Monsters Dance; the two souls of the sound are also represented by the encounter/clash between Mahdi’s clean vocals and Babak Torkzadeh’s growl, well aided by instrumental work that is entirely up to the standards of more celebrated European or American bands. Opening oneself up to listening to new bands that do not necessarily come from the usual musical and recording circuits, as Eternal Candle are, is not only a piece of advice but a duty for those who define themselves as music lovers in the truest sense of the term.

2022 – Independent