Epic metal upstarts Smoulder returns with hotly-anticipated 
second album!  

Four years removed from the sterling Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring, Smoulder is back with Violent Creed of Vengeance, an album featuring seven front-to-back bangers. The album will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats on April 21 via Cruz Del Sur Music.

Smoulder frontwoman Sarah Ann spends 20 hours a week hiking in the woods in her new locale just outside Helsinki, Finland. She listens to music and picks mushrooms and blueberries, granting her “rauhassa” — a Finnish phrase for “peace and quiet.” The hikes served as a balm for Sarah Ann amidst personal and societal tumult — events that were exasperated as the pandemic raged while Smoulder was hard at work on new music. Through her processing of the pandemic, its impact on social progress and the unending reality of misogyny and rape culture bore the title of Violent Creed of Vengeance, the title of Smoulder’s highly-anticipated sophomore full-length.

The unexpected success of 2019’s Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring promptly thrust Smoulder — rounded out by guitarists S. Vincent and Collin Wolf, bassist Adam Blake and drummer Kevin Hester — into a whirlwind of rehearsals, shows and parties, but nothing amounting to time well spent as a band doing non-band things. (Sarah Ann notes Smoulder had never spent more than 72 consecutive hours together.) Further complicating the plot was Sarah Ann and Vincent’s 2022 move to Finland from their native Canada. But not wanting to leave anything to chance, Smoulder ensured the album was entirely written and meticulously rehearsed before joining the production team of Valtteri Kallio and Jani Snellmain in July 2022 in Espoo, Finland.

Violent Creed of Vengeance espouses an “all killer, no filler” ethos. The band followed the roadmap of Omen, Blind Guardian, Chastain, Rainbow and Tales of Medusa — acts renowned for writing albums with front-to-end bangers. Smoulder applied this approach, hauling out seven songs that capably merge the fist-bumping bangers of Hester and the arcane and obscure numbers from Vincent. The songs are more nuanced but still enmeshed in Smoulder’s now-patented blend of speed, power and doom metal, capped off by Sarah Ann’s captivating vocals.

The legendary Michael Whelan (Cirith Ungol, Obituary, Sepultura) once again handled the cover art. Whelan’s artwork helped shape the album’s theme of vengeance, particularly Sarah Ann’s very pointed lyrics about taking revenge on misogynists and rapists, their enablers and the indifference of those who excuse such behavior. The red tones of Whelan’s painting have a tremendous impact since red is historically associated with strong feelings: anger, violence, lust, sex, love, courage, vigor, danger, power and passion. There is also an infusion of sword, sorcery literature and films that inspired Times of Obscene Evil, including a very special guest appearance from The Eternal Champion author, Michael Moorcock.

Whatever circuitous route Smoulder took to write and record Violent Creed of Vengeance, there is little dispute that the album is the next logical progression after Times of Obscene Evil. And, according to Sarah Ann, the results speak for themselves. “I used to loathe when bands used the word ‘mature,’” she says. “The same goes for when bands say ‘This is our best album,’ but…. this album is mature and better than the debut.”

Cruz Del Sur Music

Pre-order: https://tinyurl.com/wnpaav5v

Line-up:

Sarah Ann – Vocals 
S. Vincent – Guitar
Collin Wolf – Guitar
Adam Blake – Bass
Kevin Hester – Drums
https://smoulder.bandcamp.com/merch

https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmoulderDoom

Bandcamp: https://smoulder.bandcamp.com/album/violent-creed-of-vengeance

Review

Violent Creed of Vengeance gets straight to the point in classic heavy metal fashion with plenty of melody and ballsy riffs that come at you head on. Sarah Anns vocals are huge and feel like she’s giving it her all from inside a dark cave! You also get this feeling from the production as it feels raw and crying out from the distant. Lovely little start to the album!

The Talisman and the Blade feels like a song full of soul searching at the speed of light. Everything takes off quicker than you can blink an eyelid. The main riff has this unique and memorable tone that calls out to the skies and beyond. The song is drenched with feeling that even one cloth wouldn’t be able to soak it all up. It has fire, it has aggressiveness and all the moodiness you could want.

Midnight in the Mirror World starts off as if it were the scene of a reincarnation. The trippy lead riff repeats over and over backed by the skipping and dancing patterns of the drums by Kevin Hester. The song is a lot slower than the previous two tracks but Sarah Ann truly takes center stage with riveting vocal performance that will send shivers down your spine. When you listen to Smoulder I believe that their sound has something unique about and if anything its Sarahs enchanting vocals for sure. But as we progress through the song the emotions really start coming through the cracks and show hungry the music. We then return to opening lead riff rounded off the song perfectly.

Back to storming the lands with the intense track Path of Witchery. Break your neck, windmill frantically and sway to the ever changing pacing of this colossal song. You will feel at moments as if someone has attached shock pads to you and tried to send bolts of life and energy into you. Woven into this intricate tapestry are smooth and velvety guitar leads that send their notes fluttering of into the clouds as they were being played on top of a mountain. Not forgetting to mention the thunderous rhythm section of Adam (bass) and Kevin (drums) that tear the lands apart like a ferocious tornado.

You awaken from a hazy slumber to the voice that starts off Victims of Fate. Smoulders concoction of doom, gloom, heavy metal and sorcery is all but clear here as you can feel the magic through the music and lingering darkness. Once again Victims of Fate is another example of a song that has its fuel tank filled to the top with expressive riffs, twinges of evilness and power. Eventually you reach a point where the song feels like a an almighty ceremony of ancient words , spells and calls to raise dark spirits.

Next up we have the shortest track on the album under the name of Spellforger. Like previous tracks it is turbo charged with a mission to deliver on speed, meaty riffs and headbanging madness. A simple track that packs a heavy punch!

Dragonslayer’s Doom rounds of the album and coming in at almost 10 minutes in length it feels like an adventure in itself. Personally I usually steer away from tracks that are really long as I worry about the quality of the song deteriorating over time. But of course that is a matter of taste and personal preference. Like its tracks before expect to find warriors fighting of foes, slaying beasts with huge spears and magical moments where all matter of things are conjured. Sarah Ann cuts through the darkness in the breakdowns which is a particular highlight for me.It shows off her superb voice that fits smoulders overall sound so well. This epic quest of almighty scale brings the riffs, thumping bass lines, heartfelt emotions and feelings from the very depths of a beings soul to the table!

Conclusion

Smoulder have returned magnificently after a 4 year absence with a strong and powerful album that will leave fans deeply satisfied. If you love doom, sorcery, epic metal and music that is delivered with passion, then Smoulders new album Violent Creed of Vengeance is for you!

THENWOTHM SCORE: 8/10