New blood is what keeps a sound like black metal moving forward, even if such talent does not bring anything substantially new to the table. It’s all well and good in trying to shake things up to make for a truly surprising listen, but few things can compare to when the core pillars of a given sound are adhered to and given the reverence which they deserve to offer an interesting performance in the best of times. Black metal is no exception to that concept. Plenty of names are constantly coming out of the woodwork to try their hand at the sound with relatively few able to really make an impression. Despite being quite new to the scene, Warlocks of Morgul astonished with its latest effort.

Ice-cold black metal is of a sort that is either superb in its execution or tragically boring should the band in question not take the right steps in order to give the concept the space and time that it deserves to truly flourish. Embodying their chilling brand of the genre with more than a little bit of a fantastical edge, it’s throughout the ten tracks of “Empire of Puritanical Sorrow” that Warlocks of Morgul offer us a tremendous experience that holds nothing back. Whether it’s in the dense but captivating atmospheres, the singularly enthralling songwriting, or the impeccable skill that each of these instruments is executed with, I defy anyone to find so much as a shred of this effort that doesn’t just surpass expectations but blow them out of the water altogether. If it’s not by the end of the first track that the raw magic of Warlocks of Morgul has enchanted you to the point of fierce intrigue for what comes next, then the claws of this record are not far behind. Just as mystical in its essence as it is unapologetically vicious in its execution, “Empire of Puritanical Sorrow” leaves absolutely nothing off the table as it boasts a great deal of what we’re constantly frothing at the mouth for when it comes to black metal of this vein.

None of this is even to mention how new Warlocks of Morgul is to the scene, making one ponder just how far this band is going to take its sound where many others have failed. Only time can tell. Yet, if Warlocks of Morgul has given us anything to learn from the expanses of “Empire of Puritanical Sorrow” then it’s simply that this band is not one we should let out of our sight any time soon.

LISTEN to “Empire of Puritanical Sorrow” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Warlocks of Morgul on Instagram here.