Ancient Settlers – Oblivion’s Legacy
Release Date: 17th May 2024
Label: Scarlet Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
FFO: Arch Enemy, Jinjer, Soilwork, Darkane, Shadows Fall, The Agonist, Light This City.
Review By: Mark Waight
The upcoming sophomore release from Ancient Settlers, titled “Oblivion’s Legacy”, has been on my radar for quite some time (I pre-ordered it myself a while ago) and is undoubtably one of the most eagerly anticipated Melodic Death Metal releases so far of 2024. This band really do go from strength to strength with front woman Argen Death’s uncanny ability to switch from raw brutal power to almost pure pop rock vocals at the drop of a hat being a massive, big plus for them and for me the icing on the cake.
Formed in 2020 Ancient Settlers are a super cool Spanish/Venezuelan mix of musicians that comprises of members Herman Riera (drums/Keyboards), Rex Chiesa (guitars), Miguel Herrera (bass), Augustin Martinez (guitars) and Argen Death (vocals). Together they are modern masters in delivering heavy riffs, thick grooves, and catchy hooks of the same (and in some cases superior) quality as the Swedish Godfathers of old, and “Oblivion’s Legacy” is a nailed-on testament to that fact.
Expertly crafted as a conceptual work, “Oblivion’s Legacy” delves deeply into the human condition, the impact of our very existence on the world we live in and the fate that awaits us all.
After a brief cinematic style introduction, The Contemporary Circle kicks off at a full-on pace that just keeps going and going from start to finish. There are also a couple of glimpses of Argen Death’s vocal flexibility to tempt and tease us of what’s to come in brief snippets of clarity.
Title track Oblivion’s Legacy hits you right where it hurts, in-between interludes of a gothic/alternative nature that just work so well in contrast to the bleak brutality of the main theme.
Stardust Odyssey takes things down a level or two as the screaming vocals tear at the very fabric of your soul. The soundtrack is both atmospheric and heavy hitting in equal measures in a double pronged attack.
Released as a single, Wounded Heart is more of a tune for the Melodic Metal purists tune with its relentless pace, guttural vocals, and tight orchestral arrangements. The twin guitars are spectacular and absolutely spot on in their delivery!
Subversive is a little lighter on the ears with its catchy Modern Metal chorus and deft riffage. The aggression is thankfully never too far away though and helps make this a banging all-round track with cross genre appeal.
Heavy on the hammer song, Coven Garden cuts its cloth as a good old-fashioned Hard Rock composition overlayed superbly with a nice clear/brutal vocal mix that simply hits the sweet spot and stays there for the duration.
The Mechanical Threats seamlessly switches between a humble and Traditional Metal sound to something a little more Progressive or Futuristic as this wonderfully well-constructed story slowly unfolds. Beautiful, brutal and outstanding!
The Futuristic/Progressive thread continues with The Last Battle In The Earth, where the primeval and the modern meld together in perfect harmony. A match made in Metal Heaven or maybe in this case Hell!
Penultimate song Cosmic Farewell lulls you into a false sense of security with its soft and gentle opening before treating us to a real roller coaster of a ride where the future and the past do battle in a very pleasurable chalk and cheese fusion.
We all seek Redemption at the end of the day and Ancient Settlers certainly achieve it by returning to more familiar territory with a fitting finale that has plenty of bite via a thumping heavy on the pedal bass. A great finish to a great album.
Oblivion’s Legacy is a must-listen album for any fans of Melodic Death Metal, but it also has plenty to offer fans of other Metal genres too with some crossover into Modern Alternative Metal, Progressive Metal and Traditional Metal worthy of mentioning. Ancient Settlers are in my opinion at the forefront of their craft and leading the way for others to follow. Argen Death is definitely a contender in my book for being the ultimate Queen of Scream, and I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending this album to all, so check it out!
(4.5 / 5)
