Renascent
THROUGH DARKNESS

January 2006
Released: 2005, Metal Union Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Luxi Lahtinen

Renascent was a completely unknown name to me ´til I got to hear the band´s debut album THROUGH DARKNESS a while ago that has already been released in Japan this year with one bonus track.



Renascent, this sextet from the Finnish soil of death and decay, plays sort of an aggressive yet symphonic, keyboard-driven Death Metal that has a strong Black Metal -flavor stamped all over it, reminding me of many of those bands that came from the Göteborg -area in early ´90s; i.e. Naglfar, Sacrilege, The Crown and the likes. Fishing in the familar and safe, murky waters surely still appeals many these days - just like me, for example, and I can agree openly, it´s always great to go back in time to recall - and to make ´old-new discoveries´ how some certain bands tended to sound back then. Renascent´s THROUGH DARKNESS album reflects some of those good and appealing things of the early Göteborg metal scene that once made it so enjoyable for most of us, reminding especially of the early releases of both Sacrilege and Naglfar (LOST IN THE BEAUTY YOU SLAY and VITTRA; anyone?). So in other words, everything sounds like you have heard it all before, but I don´t consider it any negative point for Renascent. In fact it´s only great to hear there´s still at least one band that is able to cherish and obey the godly sounds of the past - and that´s what THROUGH DARKNESS represents more than well, I think. Songs like "Arise" and "Warriors of the Morning" throw you against the already abandoned, ancient gates that were once build up by some of those greats out of the now long dead´n´gone Göteborg metal scene. And if that particular scene ever managed to move the ground below your warboots, then here´s one band for you that you should seriously consider checking out. The Renascent´s black´ish ace troops have declared a war for the forgotten sounds of the ancient gods...