The idea of recreating black metal that could very well be placed among the works we got in the old school days of the genre is something that has been truly rampant in the overall modern scene for quite some time now, and it’s led to some truly interesting acts. From Ende to Mork, I’ve had my fair share of wins with these bands invoking the classic sound, but others find solace in taking that old-school feel and putting their own twist on it for something tasty. For their upcoming sophomore effort, Deitus did just that.

The word “twist” can be quite scary in black metal given how many bands tend to just put an atmospheric touch over classic elements while others can go as far as to make the material experimental in nature or create a truly unique sound as we see from bands like Gaerea. But what we get with the upcoming Deitus record, “Via Dolorosa”, is closer to the original sound of black metal than what I was initially anticipated as this band has created something that’s clearly faithful to the classic feel of the genre while still managing to move forward with the band’s own flavors leading the charge. That’s something I respect and admire from top to bottom, and Deitus absolutely nailed it! Coming in with but five tracks spread across a respectable flat 33-minute runtime, we’re treated to a solid array of riffage, gripping melodies that can easily come from and turn into blistering rages of intense fury, the vocals are a real callback to when black metal started to become much more polished in post-production yet still raw as all hell, aggression that permeates every seething moment of “Via Dolorosa”, and a great diversity throughout the tracks that shows off just how versatile Deitus is just with their second album and it delivers time and again! So much of what’s being done here brilliantly captures the modern feel of black metal while still taking little elements from all over the give the experience a real boost that plenty of other bands tend to lack, but Deitus clearly understands how to use them and efficiently at that.

There aren’t very many cases where a band can already feel like their in their natural habitat with their second album, but that seems to be just the case with Deitus here as “Via Dolorosa” feels like a true display of power from beginning to end as this act flexes their muscles constantly without dropping in quality for a second. With the year coming to a close, it’s time for us to start doubling down on all the exceptional albums that slipped under our radar as well as those that haven’t been available to us, and I truly believe Deitus has created something that many should witness upon its release.

“Via Dolorosa” releases on December 14th via I, Voidhanger Records!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Via Dolorosa” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Deitus on Facebook here.