Sometimes you want to know a lot and you really look into all the information available. You even go all the way down the proverbial rabbit hole to dig up information until you truly think: now I have it all and I know it all. Sometimes there is no relevance in gathering every single piece of information. In those moments, you simply have to let yourself be carried away by what you already have. It sounds somewhat abstract, maybe even a little intimidating, to surrender yourself like that to the unknown.
Though in the case of Hieron, originating from the German city of Görlitz, we do not travel entirely unknown territory. Their debut album From The Temple To The Grave is released through the mighty Vendetta Records and that alone already tells you that high-quality black metal will end up on the turntable. The four dark figures that make up the band deliver a clear message: no matter how well you search, no matter how hard you try, salvation will never come. You will always be left with a certain emptiness.
Hieron has written six chapters to reinforce this, to make you question life, to leave you hopeless, lost and angry. We begin with Act 1 – God’s Acre and end with Act 6 – From The Temple To The Grave.
Fluttering crows and a bombastic introduction immediately pull you into the story. Brutal blast work, sandpaper-rough vocals with a drapery of synth layers behind them do the rest. It sounds instantly impressive. Also pay attention to the guitar parts soaked in melodic rage. Strong! In Act 2 – Reverance Lost we are submerged even deeper into the story. What stands out here are the highly expressive and very diverse vocals. Act 3 – Penetralia leans particularly heavily on the Finnish school. You get goosebumps when you hear how poisonous and venomous those guitar themes are delivered!
The organ, combined with malevolent cinematic elements, opens Act 4 – Forever Scorned. It’s a joy how those driving drum dynamics take us back to long-gone black metal days. In Act 5 – Unholy Immolation it is the incantatory lead parts that capture the attention. The album closes with Act 6 – From The Temple To The Grave, a track that once again brings all the strong elements together. Powerful!
This debut album From The Temple To The Grave by the German Hieron is a strong showcase of melodic black metal with hints of synth. What makes an even bigger impression, however, is the consistency with which this band performs, making me question whether this really is such a newly formed band. There must be a considerable amount of background present to deliver such a high-quality record. Mandatory purchase on a physical format, that goes without saying. What an album!
Score:
95/100
Label:
Vendetta records, 2026
Tracklisting:
- Act 1 – God’s Acre
- Act 2 – Reverance Lost
- Act 3 – Penetralia
- Act 4 – Forever Scorned
- Act 5 – Unholy Immolation
- Act 6 – From The Temple To The Grave
Line-up:
- Unknown
Links: