Fresh off of last week’s stellar castle metal from Weald and Woe, we return with yet another release in the same vein. It may have come out in March, but it’s never too late to highlight a great debut. Olympia, Washington is best known for it’s forest-dwelling atmospheric black metal, but Veytik instead opt for something much more aggressive (and crenellated) on their full-length Carmina Aerea in Aetate Ferrea.

The title of this album translates to “Songs of Bronze in the Age of Iron,” in effect telling stories of the Bronze Age and beyond from the perspective of the Middle Ages. This proves to be much more than simple lyrical themes; that point of view infuses into the DNA of the music as well. If other castle metal acts such as Obsequiae and the aforementioned Weald and Woe are medieval knights in shining armor, Veytik offer something much older and (for lack of a better word) primitive… this translates musically into a much harsher form of this style than we’ve heard thus far. While similarly rooted in melodic black metal like its contemporaries there’s a crushing, more death metal-oriented energy to Veytik (particularly in the thunderous drumming, with each bass drum hit pounding your skull like a bludgeon). It’s also hard not to be reminded of Ayloss project Mystras in the twisting, more technical riffage heard right off the bat in opener “A Curse Upon the Sons of Ishmael,” quite apt considering the general time periods both bands ascribe to.

As recent a development as the microgenre of castle metal may be Veytik don’t hesitate to include some old-school nods, in particular some overtly trad metal riffage on the tracks “The Indelible Flames of Ilion” and “The Chords of Cowardice.” As I have no doubt that castle metal wouldn’t even exist without the contributions of the early ’90s Hellenic black metal scene (with its notoriously pronounced heavy metal influences), it’s a great way to bring those elements full circle. Perhaps the biggest highlight on Carmina Aerea in Aetate Ferrea is “Laocoön’s Serpent” and the way it turns on a dime from lilting melodies to furious black metal, building into a dual-guitar harmonic feast in its climax by way of an acoustic guitar interlude.

In contrast to the handful of other castle metal bands what makes Veytik stand out amongst their bannermen is, ironically, the subtlety of their melodicism. It’s easy to lose sight amongst the towering battlements of the crushing drums and shrieking vocals that pierce through the other aspects of their sound, but there’s tremendous care in the way these riffs are structured even if they have a razor-sharp delivery. The castle metal kingdom has added yet another worthy project to its court.

— Colin

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Carmina Aerea in Aetate Ferrea is available now through Fiadh Productions. For more information on Veytik, check out their Instagram page.