(Andy Synn steps up to take communion with the new album from Ecclesia, out now)
While our site’s name may be a little tongue-in-cheek (even if some people seem to take it way too seriously) it’s true that we don’t write about the clean-sung variants of Metal – Trad, Power, “classic” Doom, etc – very often.
But there are certainly exceptions to this “rule”, and today’s exception goes by the name Ecclesia Militans.
Last time I wrote about France’s Ecclesia I praised the band for their character-rich combination of “old school” Candlemass and/or Cathedral influences and more modern, Nevermore-adjacent, elements.
Well, this time around the band have leaned even further in the latter direction – opting for a much more up-tempo, aggressively riffy Power/Prog/Doom blend that draws even more inspiration from the likes of Sanctuary, Witherfall, and (at a push) Control Denied – resulting in an album that feels that little bit sharper and more incisive, while still retaining all the same gloomy grandiosity of its already impressive predecessor.
That’s not to say that that the band have totally (or tonally) abandoned their self-proclaimed “Witchfinding Metal of Doom” style, however, as the likes of “Antecclesia” (whose gigantic, stop-start grooves and spellbinding synths help make it one of the record’s many highlights) and penultimate powerhouse “Harvester of Sinful Souls” pick up right where the album’s predecessor left off with their bombastic blend of hefty, heavyweight riffs and vibrant, imperious vocal melodies.
But Ecclesia Militans definitely has a little bit more eldritch energy driving it, especially during killer cuts like “If She Floats” (an early “song of the year” candidate), the unashamedly hook-heavy title-track (which features some seriously Loomis-esque lead and riff work) and the stomping, soaring “Ereptor Verae Fidei”, which put the focus even more firmly on nimble-fingered, neck-wrecking riffage and pounding, penitent rhythms, while still allowing frontman Arnhwald Rattenfänger to cut loose with his captivating, charismatic voice.
Sure, I do kind of miss the way the band threw in some occasional harsh vocals on the previous album to provide some welcome contrast to their more melody-forward approach (though, that being said, there’s still a pleasingly gritty edge to many of the songs here in that regard, especially “Ecclesia Militans” and “Ereptor Verae Fidei”, both of which demonstrate why Rattenfänger’s vocals just feel that little bit more bold and ballsy than some of his… let’s say, less virile… peers) but that’s really the only complaint I have about this album.
So here’s my final summation for those of you who have skipped straight to the end – even if you’re not usually a fan of the more “traditional” and/or “old school” forms of Metal you should still give this one a try, as it’s just that little bit heavier, that little bit catchier, and that little bit cooler than the rest, and I’m pretty confident that at least some of you will end up converting… willingly or not.