Growth is not always a straightforward path. It has plenty of bends and turns, twisting down different avenues and sometimes even circling back on itself to rediscover a new way to move forward while ensuring that the past is given the reverence that it deserves. Many bands try to hearken back to their earliest days with plenty not able to tap into that same energy that helped get the ball rolling after however many years have passed, but never stops more from trying. Five years since their last offering, it’s through this new EP that Carach Angren pulls back to a concept from one of their earliest efforts while never once restricting themselves from continuing to further the path of their ever evolving sound.

For over twenty years now, Carach Angren has been at the very forefront of what it means to deliver extreme symphonic metal on a scale that’s as impressive as it is diverse right from the beginning, and I feel very confident in saying that there just isn’t much competition that can properly go toe-to-toe with the entity. They have cultivated a fantastic air of terror around virtually everything that they do. Throughout the whole of only their second EP (the first being 2005’s “Ethereal Veiled Existence”), we see Carach Angren expand on a concept they did decades ago, yet it’s with a more matured approach that shows off the vast breadth of what this band has become known for alongside their gained knowledge with results that are no less than captivating to succumb to. Another concept creation, “The Cult of Kariba” follows the titular figure through a terrifyingly violent process of sacrificial murder, ritual, revenge, and uncompromising bloodshed with the power of Carach Angren ensuring that these sights are burned into your brain, fear is injected into your very marrow, and the line of evolution of this act traces back to some of its foundational works whilst having that modern sheen and approach that still makes this band nothing to underestimate. Albeit the shortest composition from Carach Angren that we’ve received in a long time, there’s more than enough power, splendor, and horror amongst these five tracks to remind us precisely why this band still demands our respect.

We’ve seen plenty of bands come around over the years trying their hand at symphonic metal, yet extremely few have even come close to what Carach Angren still remains terrifyingly consistent with. Unyielding, intensely nuanced, and overloaded with intricacy, “The Cult of Kariba” is unassuming to those uninitiated with Carach Angren, and it’s in that foolishness where the blade of this work cuts deepest and twists in sadistic pleasure.

“The Cult of Kariba” releases on October 17th via Season of Mist!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “The Cult of Kariba” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Carach Angren on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Carach Angren on Instagram here.