Release date: 6th April 2018
The first thing that drew me to this release was the stunning artwork, and I’m glad it did because Hadopelagic is a rather kickass listen.
It’s rather difficult to slot Sanguine Glacialis into one specific style because they utilise a good amount of approaches and genres into their music, such as death metal and symphonic metal, as well as more unusual styles such as classical and jazz. They have a very interesting sound as a result and it definitely helps them to stand out from the crowd – indeed, the jazzier moments are some of my favourite elements of the album!
The keyboard lines are especially good, with a particular highlight coming in one of the later songs, Missa di Angelis. The softer piano introduction sets the scene well before the stupendous jazzy melody kicks in and the infectious line makes you want to start moving and dancing because of how funky it sounds! When the harsh vocals are added, it picks up even more and gets even more energetic! The clean vocals a little later on also add even more variety to the already-excellent track, and the instrumental sections are devilishly catchy – if this song doesn’t go down a storm live, then there’s no justice in the world.
Hadopelagic may not be a typical-sounding release, but I get the distinct impression that Sanguine Glacialis is not your typical band. If you like your music out-there, then this is surely one for you.
8/10
