Kings of Chaos

Finally, Hecate Enthroned have shaken off the Cradle of Filth specter that haunted their first records. On Kings of Chaos they've replaced their previous Dani Filth sound-alike and broken some new musical territory, which their record company billed as black metal/death metal crossover. This album also finds them going in a more experimental direction, writing short, ambient doom songs with "Miasma" and "Malignant Entity," though one would like these segues to be upped to the level of real songs. Overall, the songs are pretty ferocious, with the band playing up their ability to quickly switch speeds and styles. "I Am Born" blends gothic and melodic keyboard passages with decent black atmospherics and their trademark keyboards. "Blessing in Disguise" is also tight, featuring some classic metal riffing in the chorus and an outro that really kicks. "Repent" has a killer breakdown at song's end. The other standout track here is "Conquest Complete," the album's most aggressive song. Having survived a million lineup changes and the Cradle of Filth albatross, it seems that Hecate Enthroned has begun to emerge as a contending group in their own right. Kings of Chaos makes them a band to keep an eye on.