There’s no denying that The Chasm are one of the most innovative death metal bands of all time. Their “outside the box” approach to writing and arranging set a template that remains influential within the field to this day. Said approach was the fruit of founding multi-instrumentalist Daniel Corchado, previously known for his time in Cenotaph. Never one to rest on his laurels, Corchado opted to broaden his musical horizons even further with the 2012 formation of traditional metal side band, Acerus.
Just as The Chasm sought to be more than “just another” death metal band, Acerus takes the same stance towards traditional metal. Contrary to the not always accurate Metal Archives (Just look at their exclusion of Praying Mantis!), Acerus are more than a run of the mill “heavy metal” band. Their dark fantasy driven brand of metal straddles the line between epic, power, and speed, conjuring images of this music’s heyday when everything was fresh and unpredictable. The adventurism of classics like Manilla Road’s Crystal Logic (1983), Fates Warning’s Night on Bröcken (1984), and Mercyful Fate’s Melissa (1983) is channeled to full extent on Acerus’ latest album, The Caliginous Serenade.
The comparison to Manilla Road becomes apparent on cuts like “The Perception” and “Towards the Enigma of No Return”. Corchado fills his compositions with riveting twists and turns, aided by a healthy dose of melody and ominous atmosphere. Occasionally, the music will veer into speed metal territory. Such is the case on “The Serpent is King”, which can only be described as power metal you can mosh to (Sounds like a paradox). Other times, we’re treated to the blackened traditionalism of Mercyful Fate, like on my favorite cut, “Fourth Pentacle”. The riffs, hooks, and vocal melodies scream “A Dangerous Meeting”, which is always a welcome comparison.
What’s arguably even more impressive about The Caliginous Serenade than the songs themselves are the individual performances of each respective musician. Specifically, I have to commend the guitarwork of Corchado and Ed Escamilla, the latter of whom has handled guitars for local Chicago thrashers reign for the better part of a decade. Together, these two unleash some over the top, six string sorcery, going full blown Denner and Shermann mode on cuts like “Preparation” and the closing 10+ minute title track. This is definitely a release where the leads are equally as important as the riffs, melodies, and lyrics, and it shows. I commend Corchado and Escamilla for going above and beyond in this department, elevating these songs to another dimension.
January has been a spectacular month to be a traditional metal fan for countless reasons. Acerus just gave us one more. The Caliginous Serenade is guaranteed to vanquish the enemies of true metal. In an age where the word “epic” has been used flippantly to describe any classic metal throwback album bearing some sort of resemblance to Maiden, Acerus remind us what being truly epic is all about. Leave the Judas Priest rehashes and leopard print pants to the kids. The Caliginous Serenade is the real deal, and made of steel!
8 out of 10
Label: Lux Inframundis Productions
Genre: Epic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Manilla Road, Twisted Tower Dire, Mercyful Fate