Melody is the sort of thing that permeates just about every band we’ve come across no matter how ridiculous or benign they are in their performances, it’s what helps tie everything together – it’s one of the most basic ideas regarding music. When a band brings it to the forefront and makes it something that becomes the real driving force of the material, it can be really nice if done well but possibly feel forced if not handled correctly. Ancalagon did a solid job with their last work, but it’s with their new album that their brand of melodic black metal takes the quality up a notch.

Every time I see their name it’s the nerd in me that gets really excited because of the context of the very name of Ancalagon, but this band always delivers in a different way as their take on melodic black metal is the sort of thing that’s been nothing to scoff at, yet has plenty of room for improvement and tinkering. It’s with “Noctopoth” that we see this clearer than ever as it’s across these six tracks that Ancalagon shows us just what they’re made of as we get a very solid display of sonic tastiness and acoustic delight spread evenly throughout to allow for this album to feel quite organic. The melodic effect is what really does the trick with me right alongside with the acoustic guitars as it always comes in waves without ever really dissipating so it’s a tasty constant for the entire duration of “Noctopoth”, but Ancalagon doesn’t allow that to tie them down like some other acts might. Others might see the melody has something that they absolutely have to keep going otherwise they’re gonna stray and become not as interesting, but it’s with brilliant maneuvering that Ancalagon shows with these six songs that, while immensely key to their sound, the melodic elements do not prevent them from providing a good diversity in their material.

While still paying homage to their Tolkien-born namesake in a way, it’s with “Noctopoth” that we see this act start to become an act that really keep your eyes peeled for in the future. It’s a hard thing to come so far in a little under two years since your last effort, but Ancalagon makes it look easy with the tastiness that this record brings to the table while being a clear step up from its predecessor in just about every single way.

“Noctopoth” releases on April 20th!

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

LIKE Ancalagon on Facebook here.