Yoth Iria are a Greek black metal band and this is their third album.
Following on from the well-received As the Flame Withers and Blazing Inferno, Yoth Iria have now returned to once more grace us with their personable take on black metal. Gone with the Devil contains 46 minutes of new material.
Gone with the Devil is a blend of atavistic Hellenic black metal components, classic heavy metal influences, and rich atmospheric depth. It’s a well-crafted album that simultaneously feels deliberately pieced together and organically grown. In other words, it feels like Yoth Iria carefully considered the material they were creating, while also allowing it to develop as it may. Correspondingly, Gone with the Devil finds Yoth Iria progressing their sound, while retaining its spirit.
This new album coalesces various moving parts around a core of ancient black metal. Heavy metal is the primary additional flavour this time around, (along with a few others here and there, such as folk and operatic seasoning). This succeeds in infusing Gone with the Devil with a striding old-school demeanour that has clearly influenced the album, song names, and content as much as its blackened heart. The interesting thing is that while there are obviously a lot of older ingredients that have gone into Gone with the Devil, the end result sounds anything but stale. Yoth Iria sound relatively fresh and modern, delivering a contemporary take on a venerable vision.
There’s a lot going on here. As rough reference points, at various times you can hear bits of Amon Amarth, Arcturus, Dark Tranquillity, Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, and more across these ten satisfying and well-written songs. Even with this though, Yoth Iria have carved out a space for themselves in the extreme metal landscape, with a strong presence and personality to match.
The music brings a compelling mix of aggression, melody, and grandiose worldbuilding into existence. It carries an epic streak and an inherent power, as well as atmosphere that’s thick and generously built. It’s professional, but also impassioned. The various constituents of the music work well together, making for an album that’s well-rounded and enjoyable.
So there you have it then, another winner; Yoth Iria keep improving every record. Gone with the Devil has impressed.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 