Sear Bliss

The Arcane Odyssey

Candlelight Records 2007

From their humble beginning all the way up to this, their sixth album, I have felt that Hungary's Sear Bliss has set themselves apart as sort of a unique entity.  Their brand of mid-tempo Symphonic Black Metal has always exuded class rather than cheap commercialism like other unnamed bands from the genre.  They way they utilize brass instrumentation within the framework of their hymns has truly set Sear Bliss apart.  At times the Arcane Odyssey reminds me of Gehenna's First Spell, though with much better production.  Each song moves along at an unhurried pace allowing the moods and themes to develop as they should.  Deathly Illusion drives along with a rocking main riff that is injected with touches of classical instrumentation of the brass variety and calm keyboards.  Whereas Lost and Not Found is more controlled and strikes sour notes that are somehow perfectly suited for the song.  And the acoustic guitar that serves to introduce those angelic chimes illustrates both the compositional talent of these skilled songwriters as well as it displays the broad range of instrumental skill they possess.  Thorns of Deception is the most uncontrolled and fastest of the album with its steadily rumbling double bass drumming and triumphant horns.  As a matter of fact most of the horns throughout the album are triumphant in their nature belying both confidence of the band and the conquering attitude of their music such as on The Venomous Grace.  Though the horns are more controlled and mournful on Somewhere as the speed of the songs threatens to with violence as the guitars and drumming nearly lose control yet even these burst of energy is calculated.  Sear Bliss finish out the album in inspired fashion with Path to the Motherland with impressive folk strings and flutes melded into a black metal maelstrom.  A highlight for me are the vocals of Andras Nagy's which are guttural and deep yet are strictly black metal in their spirit.  Sear Bliss have once again created another masterpiece of symphonic black metal that is both classy and thoughtful with a subdued menace.