Deathless Legacy – Mater Larvarum | Album Review

Deathless Legacy promise nothing but horror in their sixth album, and it is deliciously icy horror.

Deathless Legacy’s sixth album Mater Larvarum creates an atmosphere evocative of The Blair Witch Project meets The Haunting of Hill House. As soon as ‘Ora Pro Nobis’ begins with its Latin chant, images of black woods, chilling fog, and moaning wind invade the mind. Those brave enough to embark on Deathless Legacy’s quest won’t find hell waiting, but a gloomy limbo is certainly a possibility.

Pray for us: ‘Ora Pro Nobis’ starts off with unsettling chants and icy solos. Thoroughly chilled (but intrigued), the listener is pulled through the treeline with delightful symphonics. By ‘Absolution’, one of the best tracks on the album, it’s clear Deathless Legacy are serious about the climate of Mater Larvarum. By applying elements of symphonic metal, gothic metal, progressive music, pure heavy metal, horror lyrics, and even hints of thrash metal, the Italian horror masters are intent on giving the listener their runtime’s worth.

Midway upon the journey of Mater Larvarum, in the dark forest, ‘The Coven’ appears out of the dark. They beckon the listener to join them with a fantastic opening riff and classic, powerful vocals. The album’s biggest pitfall to enjoyment is here in Steva’s vocal affectations. ‘The Coven’ is the worst offender of what might be deemed ‘James Hetfielding’: ending most vocal lines with “eeyaah” rather than a clean break from the last syllable. The traveler is invited to “join The Coven, six six seeyaax.” The vocals certainly distract but do not detract too much from the enjoyment of the album. Besides, the black path has brought us to something far more distressing: the Altar of Bones.

After a handful of symphonic gothic songs, the doomy opening to ‘Altar of Bones’ is a welcome switch-up. The altar lies barren of a sacrifice in pale, moldy light. Doom is now not a possibility, but a likelihood. Gazing up from the altar, a monstrous, haunted mansion rises up amidst the blackened pine trees. Usher’s house has already fallen; this mansion is not inhabited by people, but by the Mater Larvarum – the Mother of Ghosts herself.

The first riff and haunting chorus in the title track bring back the grandiosity of the album opener, no easy feat for an album full of epic choruses and towering vocals. The ancient hallways of the house seem to go on forever as shadowy walls lean over the traveler and whisper of asphyxiation. Steva’s vocals, like the listener’s fear, are at their rawest in ‘Mater Larvarum’. About three-quarters of the way through, the synth squeals in a manner unfortunately reminiscent of the YouTube sensation Animusic, but it provides some texture. Deathless Legacy recover for a deliciously unsettling close. Walk the path unknown, but not alone anymore: The hollow Mother calls from the netherworld, and she cannot be resisted.

This is a horror metal group at the height of their powers. From beginning to end, Mater Larvarum invites, seduces, or drags listeners as necessary along their hellish ride from the black woods to the altar straight from the catacombs to the ghoulish mansion. It’s a fun ride for those willing to follow the Mother of Ghosts.