Published: October 10, 2023

Canada produces some very atmospheric Black Metal to be sure and King’s Rot have been delivering the cold since 2017. Haunting vocals, catchy melody and large sweeping riffs abound on this their second full length, At The Gates Of Adversarial Darkness.

Opening track Blazing Winds Of Torment set the pace and vibe wonderfully with quiet atmospherics and the sounds of a large ancient door being dragged open and slammed shut again, chains and footsteps on cold stone follow, then the drawing of a blade and blasting of drums as the track starts proper. It's brief and I love little flourishes like this, it’s simple but effective and all together makes for a great opening track.

 

Album title track, At The Gates Of Adversarial Darkness opens with pounding drums and a classic “ugh” grunt. It’s galloping, intense approach topped with howling vocal delivery and razor swinging riffs. There is a clear driving force here, a collective purpose that permeates these songs with darkness and urgency. Twilight Breath Incantation and Beneath The Hunters Moon encapsulate this vibe with sheer intensity and dudes I am here for it. Then comes I Am The Door In Between that starts with a breath…a sigh and then blazes Black Metal right into your mind. It’s short but intense with a mesmerizing riff.

 

Final two tracks, Last Dance Of The Eternal Flame and A Burnt Offering For The Vermin King feel like a pair, especially as the end of Eternal Flame bleeds right into A Burnt Offering. Small details like this largely go unnoticed these days but can really help tie an album together. Last Dance is the main track on this album in my opinion, riff heavy and just this side of grandiose it rocks just right and will linger in your mind. Last track Vermin Lord brings the grim with the deepest vocals and some intense swirling riffage that fits the blasting drum work perfectly. A solid album closer.

 

Each of these songs is tight and well written with clear production that keeps the proceeding just grim enough without drowning out anything, all the darkness, none of the mud. On top of that only two of these tracks clock in under 5 minutes but not once did I notice or feel like a song was dragging on too long. Paired with human made cover art clearly inspired by the Gates of Mordor and a sweet vinyl release this adventure lands a solid