Honesty forces me to say that I didn’t quite know what to expect from Deathless Legacy’s sixth album ‘Damnatio Aeterna’. 2022’s ‘Mater Larvarum’ didn’t quite resonate with me as well as their other releases, but it is possible that its larger emphasis on vaguely Powerwolfy pop metal than usual was too big a contrast with the absolute masterpiece that was the 24-minute single ‘Saturnalia’ for me to handle. While the songwriting on ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ is every bit as immediate and accessible as on ‘Mater Larvarum’, the overall tone is notably darker, bringing the band’s characteristic horror sound to the foreground again.

Tribute bands that start writing their own material often end up sounding like a watered-down version of their inspirations. Deathless Legacy is a good example to the contrary. They were once a Death SS tribute, but I would rather play ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ or 2018’s ‘Rituals of Black Magic’ than any Death SS album. What helps is that they don’t sound all that much like Death SS to begin with, borrowing more from their atmosphere and aesthetic than their music. Deathless Legacy excels at catchy, uncomplicated songs with beefy riffs and huge choruses, with a prominent role for church-style organs and choirs.

But although ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ appears simple on the surface, it does have a lot of subtly complex things that sets it apart from other gothic-tinged modern hard rock and heavy metal hybrid releases. First off, very few singers in today’s metal scene have the voice of Steva Deathless. She employs a husky, yet surprisingly natural-sounding tone, and delivers what might be her most dynamic performance yet. Also, Guitarist Stg. Bones does more than just lay down power chords for the rest of the production to build on. There’s plenty of that, but there are also some actual riffs, gothic rock-styled single-note parts and a few cool guitar solos.

‘Damnatio Aeterna’ starts off with a few songs that capture that accessible spark of the band perfectly, but it really gets going when the story gets darker around the middle of the album. ‘Oblivion’ builds from a chilling, black metal-esque intro to a threatening rocker full of barely-contained anger, ‘Mother of God’ combines introspective, Dool-esque semi-clean guitar lines with effective gallops, and the power ballad ‘Sanctified’ showcases what a fantastic singer Steva is. ‘Nightshade’ is mid-nineties gothic metal of the style that isn’t made very often anymore, while the ominous, dynamic ‘Gehenna’ closes the album in a brilliant fashion.

Atmosphere somehow often goes at the expense of compositional depth. While Deathless Legacy’s songs have never been overwhelmingly intricate, ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ proves there is more to the Italian band than a bunch of catchy songs and occult theming in their visuals and lyrics. Clearly, a lot of effort has been put into making the arrangements hit just right without sucking all the life out of them. That makes the album one of the rare examples of a release that both casual listeners and hardcore music lovers will enjoy. While ‘Saturnalia’ will remain difficult to top, ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ is likely the band’s best album experience to date.

Recommended tracks: ‘Oblivion’, ‘Gehenna’, ‘Indulgentia Plenaria’