Vale of Pnath – Between the Worlds of Life and Death (Review)

This is the third album from US death metal band Vale of Pnath.

Between the Worlds of Life and Death is a blackened death metal extravaganza, boasting 38 minutes of face-melting material. On their new album Vale of Pnath are vying for the modern extreme metal crown.

In very rough terms Between the Worlds of Life and Death can be thought of as a mix of bands such as The Faceless, Lorna Shore, Dimmu Borgir, The Black Dahlia Murder, Fallujah, and Carnifex. At the very least this will give you a starting point for the Vale of Pnath experience.

Between the Worlds of Life and Death is a technical death metal album that’s adopted a sinister blackened veneer. This Vale of Pnath use well to sidestep many of the typical tech death pitfalls, while still mining the style’s strengths for all they’re worth. It’s rich in melody and sharp brutality, and augmented by symphonic aspects that capture an infernal sense of grandeur well. It’s brutal, atmospheric, and well-crafted, with songwriting that balances instant appeal aggression with a deeper longevity that comes from insidious hooks.

The songs are well-written and surprisingly catchy. There’s an abundance of engaging ideas spread across the songs, including a choice selection of formidable riffs and atmospheric highlights. The album has a pervading sense of abrasive darkness that cloaks the songs like a malevolent entity, one that watches your every move. It does have an intro and an interlude, but fear not – these come courtesy of a member of Wilderun, so they do earn their running time. These, as well as guest solos, (from members of Cradle of Filth, Interloper, Obscura, and Alkaloid), and cello, all add flavour to Vale of Pnath’s assault.

The end result of the above is a blackened death metal album that fuses its influences together with remarkable ability. Between the Worlds of Life and Death is morish, seeming to grow in size, stature, and impact with every listen. Vale of Pnath have produced an album that covers a few different extreme metal bases, and does so with consummate skill.

Fans of modern blackened aggression would do well to spend some time with this beast.