Metal Debate Album Review - Black Flame Eternal (Cloak)

The Great Metal Debate Podcast

Welcome back mental heads to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. It's Xander once again and today we will be talking about the new album Black Flame Eternal from Atlanta, Georgia's gothic black metallers Cloak. I have enjoyed their music ever since 2019 when my friend and fellow YouTuber Richard Metal Fan introduced me to their 2nd full-length The Burning Dawn which had just come out at the time. I found myself enjoying the music so much that I ordered their tape, CD and long sleeve shirt. Though it has been a while, I even revisited their 2017 debut To Venomous Depths to refresh on their earlier work before diving into this new album. "Ethereal Fire" is a killer opening track that sets the overall tone for the remainder of the album. It puts the group vocals to great use as they are timed very well. The stand alone drum beats at the beginning and end were also a very nice touch. Whenever a black metal band makes the Eoh sound. Many metalheads have coined phrased them as the Blasphemy Eoh's. "With Fury And Allegiance" has a few of those throughout the track but the trashy guitar sound and the vocal speed together remind me a little bit of Goatwhore. But I also like the calm slowed down part halfway through. "Shadowlands" begins with a very smooth guitar riff and even a very nice solo early on after the one minute mark. It really fits in with that melodic sound that I'm used to hearing from the two guitarists Max Brigham and Scott Taysom. I also really enjoy the spoken word section just after with the lyrics "For I have shed the blood. I have walked beyond the gates. And I have sworn, to you I bow." The first single that Season Of Mist released for this album was the track called "Invictus" which definitely sounds like a classic thrash metal riff until you hear the blackened style of vocals. I love how the lyrics "In the cold of night I watch it fall. Tot he morning star my spirit calls" are said as a chant but at the same time doesn't repeat. Three weeks later, a lyrical video for the song "Seven Thunders" was dropped. I won't spoil the lyrics for this one, you'll just have to check it out for yourself. I will say that they rhythm has a very black-n-roll kind of feel to it which I enjoy very much. Next we get the song "Eye Of The Abyss" which has a winding sound to the guitars but later on in the track we get an audibly groovy bass line laid down by Billy Robinson. Last month the band put out their 3rd single for this record called "The Holy Dark" which kicks off with a drum intro performed by Sean Bruneau. The sound mixing really highlighted his capabilities in this one. As a lead-in to the concluding song we have sort of a prelude called "Heavenless". It sounds like an instrumental because the spoken word is purposely faded. You can still look up the lyrics but the calming music does overpower Scott's voice. And then for the closer we come to the album title track "Black Flame Eternal". I can't wait to see them for the first time during their album release show on Saturday June 10th!