With “Ashspawn,” ENTHRONED release the second chapter of their new album: a violent statement of transformation through fire. Condensed into four and a half minutes of controlled chaos, the song embodies the record’s central doctrine: spiritual destruction as the catalyst for transcendence.
Driven by Menthor’s blinding percussion and Kaos’s serpentine riffing, “Ashspawn” oscillates between feral speed and precise rhythmic control. The production’s overwhelming density evokes ritual combat—each dissonant chord and blast beat colliding as a deliberate act of annihilation and rebirth. Nornagest’s vocals, both incantation and condemnation, channel the lyrical core of the piece: “I am God’s scourge of defeat, the semen in His eye.” What begins as a hymn of ruin resolves into declaration: Et Verbum Caro Factum Est—“And the Word became Flesh.”
“The drumming is spectacular, managing to be impressive yet inconspicuous at once … each beat working to accentuate the riff underneath instead of overpowering it.” — Angry Metal Guy, on Cold Black Suns
“The eeriness that permeates tracks like ‘Son of Man’ and ‘Oneiros’ is contagious, and the buzzsawing riffs maintain plenty of bite even when dragging one into slower segments.” — Dead Rhetoric, on Cold Black Suns
“Belgium’s Enthroned have been a worthy presence on the European black metal scene without ever setting it alight. They are highly competent purveyors of an orthodox whirlwind black metal.” — Metal Reviews, on Prophecies of Pagan Fire
“Enthroned act cleverly. The musicians do not only focus on high velocity … the output does not lack variety and special effects strengthen the charisma of some tunes.” — MetalBite, on Prophecies of Pagan Fire
“Solid and harsh Black Metal with atmospheric details.” — Reflections of Darkness, on Sovereigns
“Imagine my surprise then at being confronted with the blistering aggression of Pentagrammaton … this sounds like a fucking Enthroned album.” — The Metal Crypt, on Pentagrammaton
“It explores a variety of ideas and evokes a palette of intense and obscure feelings.” — Terra Relicta, on Sovereigns
“This is a perfectly solid black metal release that can certainly give the top division black metal bands something to worry about — and deservedly so.” — Echoes & Dust, on Sovereigns