Review: “Frigore Inferni” by To Obey A Tyrant

For the past decade To Obey A Tyrant have taken the left hand path that Gods fear to tread, giving us a Blackened Symphonic Deathcore soundtrack of pure unadulterated fire and brimstone. In their formative years line up changes were a thorn in their side but the rage to overcome such obstacles has ensured the Bournemouth natives have what it takes to deliver Metal to the Masses. Now comprising vocalist Brandon Singleton, guitarist pairing Josh Rushton and James Meade, bassist Harvey Hockey and drummer and orchestrations wizard Bruno Clay, who by all accounts recorded, mixed, mastered and reamped “Frigore Inferni“, everything seems settled. Seek & Strike Records certainly think so…

Soul stirring cinematic orchestration and ethereal elements usher in the album with urgency “I, Apollyon” a brutal and malevolent assault on the senses with a touch of influence from bands like Cradle Of Filth. The point of difference is the ferocious Slamming Deathcore vocals over bloodthirsty breakdowns that comes in between those Extreme Metal passages. Vocalist Brandon Singleton sounds nothing short of demonic throughout, the band painting in patterns of light and shade to create an epic soundscape for an impending apocalypse. “Obsidian Sol” continues the narrative with a solo as it rises from the depths of hell, a whirlwind of percussive battery which feels like being shot through by a thousand nails accompanying it. The vocals border on feral, the heaviest single element of the band’s crushing wall of sound and yet there is a majestic quality underneath it all at times, the contrast between the two styles working incredibly well in the context. The mid cut breakdown is a blunt force trauma that you didn’t see coming, the bursts of jackhammer footwork and stuccato riff breaks in the final third spine juddering fun that beggars belief. It’s not for the faint of heart or weak of mind. Another stunning soundtrack plays out in “Dawnbreaker” with the orchestra playing the symphony of the damned as the spitting, snarling and venomous vocals reign terror on the cerebral cortex. What makes the pain so heavenly is that there is plenty of contrast in the vocal range, some bark, some bite and some blood gargling so the lesser trained ear maybe forgiven for hearing multiple vocalists when there is in point of fact one.

The title track “Frigore Inferni” is just as violently turbulent as the works that came before it, a magnificent introduction pierced by vile luxury in throat splitting vocal patterns. An aching yet soaring solo offers a wave of meloncholia before the rhythmic battery crushes all in its path, the mid section of this one a violent delight. When you’re least expecting it the band strike like a vampire, going straight for the jugular after a melodic passage to finish of a skull shattering aggressive high rather than letting the cut fade out. It’s a masterstroke of a move, letting the outfit confirm they aren’t done with you until the very last second. Extreme Metal blood and thunder from the first few seconds “Prince Ov Death” is a dance macabre that many will not survive. The smell of Napalm is heavy in the air as the band leave behind them a scorch marks on the ground, bringing out the dead with Beatdown Deathcore riffs before elevating proceedings with their orchestrations and a few vibrant guitar parts. If some of the earlier cuts were reminicient of works by She Must Burn, here the band sound like they’ve been bathing in the blood of Ingested. Returning to the epic soundscapes of the earlier works “Winter’s Rite” is both stunning and brutally savage in equal measure. It’s almost like it echoes the beauty and harshness of nature, the spine juddering breakdowns as the orchestrations drop out an act of malicious violence before another epic embrace. There are elements of Black Metal, Deathcore and Death Metal wrapped in this Extreme Metal masterpiece of sonic abrasions, the aching piano finale a fleeting moment of calm to end a violent storm. Make no mistake, To Obey A Tyrant have found themselves with this record, taking what they created before and elevating it to the next level with sublime musicianship, clever song writing and destructive vocals. The Extreme Metal world now shudders before them… [9/10]

Track Listing

1. I, Apollyon
2. Obsidian Sol
3. Dawnbreaker
4. Frigore Inferni
5. Prince Ov Death
6. Winter’s Rite

“Frigore Inferni” by To Obey A Tyrant is out 21st February 2025 via Seek ‘n Strike Records