"Arcana Rising" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian doom/heavy metal act Coffin Storm. The album was released through Peaceville Records in March 2024. It was preceded by the February 2024 pre-album single "Over Frozen Moors". "Over Frozen Moors" appears as the album opener on "Arcana Rising" in the same version as on the single. Music videos were released for the tracks "Over Frozen Moors" and "Open the Gallows". Coffin Storm formed in 2020 and features the trio of Bestial Tormenter (bass, guitars), Apollyon (drums), and Fenriz (vocals). All three prolific personalities on the Norwegian extreme metal scene having played with/or still play with artists like Dødheimsgaard, Darkthrone, Nekromantheon, Internö, Immortal...etc.
Stylistically the material on "Arcana Rising" is a mid-paced, raw, and energetic heavy metal/doom metal style. Fenriz has an epic singing style but at the same time he also sounds a bit demented. It´s like listening to Carl-Michael Eide (Virus, Aura Noir, Ved Buens Ende, Infernö) meeting a less accomplished Messiah Marcolin (Candlemass, Memento Mori). Fenriz vocals are pretty surely an aquired taste, but to my ears they provide the music with some charming oddball personality and they work really well within the context of Coffin Storm´s music. The riffs are sharp and heavy, the drumming is organic and powerful, and the leads and harmonies are well executed.
The tracks are well composed and feature enough creative details to keep the album entertaining throughout the 6 tracks, 44:54 minutes playing time. Coffin Storm are not afraid to write long tracks, because they know that they are able to deliver a powerful and intriguing attack throughout the songs. Best examplified by the 10:26 minutes long "Open the Gallows". The album features an organic, raw, and detailed sound production too, and "Arcana Rising" is an every way possible a high quality release. If a comparison is to be made it would be to Candlemass but Coffin Storm are slightly more raw, dark, and unpredictable. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
