Burial – Rejoice in Sin (Review)

This is the fourth album from UK black metallers Burial.

I haven’t caught up with Burial since their 2016 album Unholy Sedition, so it is high time I did once more. Featuring in their ranks members of Cairns, Foetal Juice, and Wolfbastard, Burial know what they’re doing with their music, and Rejoice in Sin delivers 40 minutes of raw iciness for the listener to get frozen by.

Burial’s music is engaging and well-crafted. The band have progressed their sound since Unholy Sedition, although not so much that they sound like they are from different bands; a refinement, not a reinvention.

Rejoice in Sin is an old-school Satanic black metal album at heart, although this classic foundation has been built upon by modern elements that strengthen the more ancient structures. The music makes use of melody and atmosphere to add layers and depth to the songs’ assault, allowing Burial to make a potent impact with their frosted attack.

The songs flow with energetic darkness. Burial’s mastery of textured riffs and rich blackened melodies is well-developed, making the songs instantly arresting, while imbuing them with a depth of delivery that becomes infectious over time. The atmospheres forged are cold and harsh. They are immersive and well-realised, yet there’s an aggression here that keeps things grounded before they can truly enter the realms of atmospheric black metal. This comes from a heart of blackened hostility, as well as a Darkthrone-esque punky edge that manifests on some songs more than others – Sadism for God is a great example, with its murderous blackened grooves.

All parts of Rejoice in Sin hit the spot. I like the singer’s voice very much from his other bands, and he once again delivers a top tier performance here. I’ll also mention the bass, which provides far, far more to the album than it does on most black metal albums. Finally, I’ll also state that the songwriting is effective across the board, and there are hooks aplenty to become ensnared by, be they vocal, melodic, or riff-based.

Rejoice in Sin is a very enjoyable, well-realised and satisfying black metal record. It’s more atmospheric and melodic than I was expecting, yet still has real bite and buckets of venomous belligerence.

Very highly recommended.