Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Temples Colliding in Fire (Review)

This is the third album from UK black metal band Inconcessus Lux Lucis.

Inconcessus Lux Lucis made a good impression on me with 2017’s The Crowning Quietus, and this was reinforced on 2021’s SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of the Fireborn split with Thy Darkened Shade, Amestigon, & Shaarimoth. The band have now returned with Temples Colliding in Fire, which delivers 44 minutes of new material.

Inconcessus Lux Lucis’ music is deeply infused with classic heavy metal, speed/thrash metal, and first wave black metal. This makes for a charismatic listen, as the band peel off riff after riff of shaped arcane darkness. This is the most melodic I’ve heard Inconcessus Lux Lucis, and they have further embraced their traditional heavy metal side. Fully embedded into their blackened framework, the band make the most of their old-school style to deliver an album that is very easy to listen to and enjoy.

Temples Colliding in Fire offers a textured, energetic experience. Lighter aspects that provide introspection and breathing room occasionally appear, while the heavier parts form the foundation that the whole is built from. The classic metallic building blocks allow for various shades of light and dark to be explored, and some of the material here is outright uplifting and inspiring. Melody is used well, and the band have a clear ear for a decent riff. Couple this with a bedrock of dark intensity and a talent for old-school sinister atmosphere, and you have a record that’s eminently enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a feast of blackened heavy metal that’s played with personality by a band that know how to pen a decent tune, then this is for you.

Very highly recommended.