Finland’s black metal veterans Aegrus unleash a new EP onto the world: The Carnal Temples.

Aegrus has three full-length albums in their catalogue, and a host of EPs and demos dating back to 2006. Originating in southern Finland, Aegrus is part of the storied landscape of black metal history. According to the Metal Archives, the band is Praestigiator (guitar), Lux Tenebris (guitar, bass), Inculta (vocals), and Serpentifer (drums).

There are four tracks on the new EP, each running in the six minute range. First up, “The Carnal Temples.” A solitary guitar strums a direct riff and is soon joined by the rhythm section and the hissing, strained vocals we were waiting for. An episode of chaos follows, and then the rampaging riff returns. “In Death Rapture” opens slower, but you know the kick is coming … and it does, fierce and excoriating.

“Moonlit Coffinspirit” dooms up front with a heavy trod and a melancholy melody. The pace does grow throughout and the song ends on a vocal duet and a hammering groove. It is a very different song from the other three on the record and stands out as my favorite of the set. The final flourish is “Flesh And Blood,” a traditionally savage black metal beast. The song does have divergent groovy hooks in a couple of spots that mark it for notoriety.

If you have been following Aegrus all these years then you are in line already for this new one. It is a good place to start for newcomers to their music, too, because it shows a nice array of the variety of music the band produces. Recommended.

The Carnal Temples is out through Osmose Productions on Friday, January 28^th. In the US, Bandcamp is the place to go.

Links.

Website, https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-carnal-temples

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Aegrusofficial

Osmose Productions, https://www.osmoseproductions.com/