Album Review: Warmoon Lord – Sancrosanct Demonopathy

Band: Warmoon Lord
Album: Sancrosanct Demonopathy
Label: Werewolf Records
Release date: May 25th, 2025
Country: Finland
Format reviewed: High quality digital recording

Album Review: Warmoon Lord – Sancrosanct Demonopathy via Werewolf Records by Ioana

Warmoon Lord is a project that, simply put, needs no introduction. After releasing what was arguably one of 2021’s best records, Battlespells, a lot of fans were left wondering what was coming next. After four years of waiting, Sancrosanct Demonopathy came along, and now it’s my turn to give my two cents about it. This record somehow managed to land in front of me during what I can call a rough patch, and my first two attempts at listening to it ended in me getting pissed off and leaving it in the air for about two weeks. Fortunately, I got my shit together (finally), and decided to finally sit down like a civilized human and actually pay attention to what I was listening to. It’s safe to say that I found nothing wrong with it, and those first two attempts were just the migraine speaking.

The album is, in terms of overall sound, your typical Finnish black metal record, bearing similarities to bands such as Horna and Vargrav most noticeably. It has catchy, dynamic riffs skillful drumming, screeching nazgul vocals and epic synths that come in as tinges of dramatism. Although all these traits have been established on the band’s previous material, it stands out a lot even in comparison to Battlespells when it comes to songwriting, as it is obvious, even at a first listen, that Lord Vrăjitor had no intention of slacking on that. The songs, in spite of most of them being on the long side, feel very tight and straight to the point. The production is reminiscent, at least from my point of view, of Marduk’s Opus Nocturne, walking on the border between raw and clean. That being said, the production is not the only similarity between Sancrosanct Demonopathy and Opus Nocturne.

Something that stood out about this record right from the first listen was the drumming. It had been a while since I had found an album with actually great drum work, so this was definitely a great surprise. The blast beats are executed with remarkable precision, maintaining their punchiness even during the fastest segments. The rhythm and pattern changes are also placed in such a way that they emphasize the contrasting aspects of the music, and, along with the synth passages, help highlight the epic sensation that comes a trademark aspect of the record. The best example of this is the song “His Enigmatic Ways”, which right from the drum fill intro is set to become an example of instrumental mastery. The dynamics between the percussion and the guitar work are monumental in creating both heaviness and grittiness, as well as power, in a manner that feels inspired by extreme thrash metal at times, particularly in the main riff.

Speaking of riffs, the guitar work is on the same level as the drumming when it comes to proficiency, and when combined with the bass, the result is truly something to behold. The riffs are intricate, but without crossing into chaotic territory. The track “Uncreation’s Dragon” is a perfect example of its versatility, featuring every black metal technique in the book, from epic tremolo riffs, acoustic passages, power chords and everything inbetween. The only drawback comes not from the guitars itself, but from the production, I would say. That strange mix of “it’s raw, but it’s cleanish too” makes the music, but the guitars most importantly to feel a little held back. The whole album keeps building intensity that never gets released, and that feeling is entirely the fault of the production. The comparison with Opus Nocturne comes from this observation, and it’s not to say that it makes either record completely unlistenable. Heck, a lot of people actually enjoy this style of production, and I might get into it as well. But that would require a few more listens, and the time dedicated to this review doesn’t really allow that. This being said, I am almost sure that the production will grow on me after a few more times listening to this record, so, it’s not really a big downside.

One can’t really talk about Sancrosanct Demonopathy without mentioning the synth passages, and for good reason, as they are without a doubt an essential part of the album. They set all the main melodic lines, being the main melody factor throughout the record. Obviously, they form most of the atmosphere, which is further emphasized by the rest of the instruments. Along with the main melodies, there is a little bit of reverb to be found, but not enough to feel bothersome or exaggerated. Overall, it is a great example of how to do synths properly in black metal, without compromising on the aggression.

The vocal performance is where things get a little tricky. The technique and overall execution is great, really expressive and very fitting for the music ( I don’t get why people complain about high screeches being overdone, they are the standard for a reason, and on this album in particular they manage to both integrate well in the music while also standing out ). The problem is once again caused by the production, and partially by the mixing. The vocals sound lost in the mix for most of the record, and feel held back by the production as in the case of the guitars. They manage to cut through them occasionally, but they are nowhere near their full power, which would have lifted the album from “great” to “exceptional”. However, I once again advise you take this statement with a grain of salt, as I am very likely to change my mind in the future. I tend to sound too harsh when discussing such matters.

Overall Sancrosanct Demonopathy is a masterclass in songwriting and musical proficiency. Leaving aside my personal gripes with the production, which considering the way I know myself shoudn’t even count, this is one hell of a listen, and one that I recommend to every self respecting black metal fan. 9.5/10

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