Inherits the Void – Scars of Yesteryears (Review)

This is the third album from French one-man black metal band Inherits the Void.

Hot on the heels of last year’s The Impending Fall of the Stars, the artist behind Inherits the Void has returned with 44 minutes of new material with Scars of Yesteryears. Are you concerned about the lack of time between releases? Don’t be, as Scars of Yesteryears is a cracking album.

Scars of Yesteryears is a collection of black metal songs that takes a more direct approach than its predecessor, while still offering an expansive and immersive experience. The music combines the melodic and atmospheric styles of black metal with elements of melodic death metal. There’s also the occasional touch of doom in some of the slower, more epic sections.

The well-written music has many moving parts that the artist arranges together with skill. The ability of the songs to combine their various influences is a definite strength. A track might have furious deathly riffing give way to blistering melodic blackened supremacy, only to then add in a layer of compelling atmosphere that shrouds everything, yet doesn’t overpower it.

There are some damn good riffs on the album, and these are deployed for maximum impact. The bright melodies are built on top of a firm foundation, and a variety of different decorations and finishing touches adorn the final creations. The use of synths on this album is masterful. They typically aren’t the stars of the show, but if they were removed the music would be incomplete and lacking. I also like the way that the occasional use of cleans bolsters the music in select places with additional emotive depth.

Scars of Yesteryears is probably Inherit the Void’s most well-rounded and strongest release yet. The newer aspects of the band’s sound, coupled with the solid production values, has made for a very compelling album. Of course, it’s the songwriting that is the most important thing overall, and these new songs blend the artist’s influences into a whole that’s really enjoyable and rewarding.

You won’t want to miss out on this if you’re a fan of bands such as Dissection, Emperor, Moonlight Sorcery, Valdrin, Griffon, Stormkeep, etc.