If you ask me about the five best German metal bands at the moment, I definitely come up with Sulphur Aeon. With their first three albums – and mighty live performances – the guys from North Rhine-Westphalia have already earned themselves a cult status in the underground. Against this background, it is evident that not only I had extremely high expectations regarding the new release Seven Crowns and Seven Seals.

To avoid any tension in the first place: Also in the year 2023, Sulphur Aeon are convincing all along the line. After a short atmospheric intro, the guys tear everything down in their usual manner, in other words, sophisticated and ingenious. If I had to describe Seven Crowns and Seven Seals with one word, it would be: Massive. In this discipline, only Thronehammer can keep up, who with Kingslayer delivered a similarly outstanding album this year.

However, it would be wrong to reduce Sulphur Aeon to the above-mentioned buzzword. The band takes its foot off the gas pedal repeatedly and, especially in these moments, creates a dark, all-consuming, addictive magic that confronts the listener with the Lovecraftian horror that has always been the focus of the Germans.

In short: Sulphur Aeon set themselves another monument with their fourth full-length record, cementing their exceptional status in the underground. Seven Crowns and Seven Seals will be at the top of numerous best-of lists at the end of the year, and completely deservedly so. Metal can be so exciting, so thrilling and so incredibly captivating…

Sulphur Aeon on Bandcamp: Click here.