Firelink - Firelink (2020)

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Firelink - Firelink (2020)

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A torn banner flutters in a cold wind atop a stack of crumbling ruins. You cast your gaze down a long winding path to ascertain your destination. In this dilapidated world, you are alone and frightened yet you steel yourself for the task ahead. Although many horrors line your path, you must succeed, you must prevail. And if you do not you will try again and again until you drain the last of humanity from your body.

Today we delve into the Age of Fire and its subsequent demise. Firelink is a black metal band from Atlanta, Georgia but their music far transcends what would be expected of that tag. Firelink is a band me and Ryan have discussed on a few occasions now. Once in an album reviews podcast episode and once more when we interviewed Harrison Stivarius, the band’s guitarist and principal songwriter. Every time I do a deep dive into Firelink I become more enamored with it, the music is as bewitching as it is despondent and bleak.

Firelink’s sophomore self-titled is one of the most progressive records we have discussed in a while, the breadth of genres heard is phenomenal. In all ways, this record is a step up from their previous release, The Inveterate Fire. Firelink features live drums from Benighted drummer Kevin Paradis which enhances the album tenfold. Adrian Davis reprises his role as vocalist and he delivers his words as if all the fires of Izalith are contained within his throat. The album production sparkles like the embers of a dissipating bonfire and the guitar work outlines the forms of celestial beings and despondent landscapes in a way no musical metaphor can do justice. This is a fantastic listen from start to finish and although we did have some small criticism to make, they were few and far between.

Be warned that this episode is chock full of Dark Souls lore, so if you have never played the games you might feel a bit lost at times. But never despair young hollow, there is plenty of musical analysis to tie it all together. I hope you enjoy our rambling as much as we enjoyed delivering it…

by Tim Harbour