Review by Jeger on May 23, 2025.

A Warlord… A Hero! He has emerged from the hallowed Halls of Myth and onto the field of battle. With bravery unmatched will he conquer his foes within this war-torn and mysterious realm - a place so far from here - so far away from the shattered lives we know. Just needs a music score… Well, France's Eminentia Tenebris have got something quite special in store for us all - a synergy of melodic and atmospheric Black Metal to be exact: traditional in some respects and groundbreaking in others, but altogether breathtaking. Sacramentum meets Windir here upon freshly broken soil. On July 4, Eminentia Tenebris will unveil Whispers Of The Undying via Antiq.

Galloping along to the rhythm of war drums upon his mighty steed is our Hero. Arms raised to the azure in awe of the atmosphere; bellowing his hearty war cry; sending shivers up the spines of his soon-to-be-slain enemies. The opening track, "Forever Etched", sets a properly triumphant tone, as the duo cracks the heavens with magnificent riffs, powerful cadences and weighty yet fiendishly Demonic vocals. Synth and keyboard overlays radiate victoriously into the spellbinding atmosphere, and it's only the beginning…

I'm not sure I've ever heard anything like what I'm experiencing here. It's overwhelming to say the least. "The Great Betrayal" delivers a more balanced effect; lulling you into a mystified state. A little more spacious, a little easier in the rhythm department. The result is something a bit more malleable and easier to wrap your head around. But reality-shattering still as all phases vortex together into an epic crescendo towards the end. A softer approach to mixing and mastering would've produced a nice offset to the intensity of the music. Everything is LOUD! Glaring at surface level, and that appears to be the only faux-pa thus far. There's a lot lost in the mix, which creates a somewhat chaotic environment.

This is exactly why Black Metal is what it is: the most precious Dark Art and the proudest genre of Extreme Metal. Whispers Of The Undying whips the senses into a frenzy, making you feel alive; awakened from the drab of everyday living. Ah, taking a step back now… The intro to "Embers Of Glory" is like something fit for cinema, as it evokes images of proud Warriors chanting o'er a once writhing, but now a temped battleground. The tale coming to an end now. The adventure simmering down like the curse of age as it casts its aching spell upon our Hero. Soft acoustics and the gentle clatter of a tambourine to culminate the precursor to the end of it all.

Whispers Of The Undying closes with "Time's Cruel Reign". A time for self-reflection to prepare the Warlord for death. The end of it all soundtracked by yet another epic excursion into scarcely traversed BM territory. This combination of styles is simply brilliant. And as the sun sets upon this tale, so too does the moon rise into the crisp fateful night. Blessed silence soaking in following what was a harrowing quest indeed. Wow, what an experience. Feeling fat and happy after this one; satisfied from the inside out, like that feeling you get after watching a three-hour-long fantasy flick. Eminentia Tenebris - a duo of the utmost importance to the genre. They're not reinventing the wheel here; just breathing life anew into a couple of sub-genres of Black Metal that have grown a bit predictable as of late. So, mask up in your war paint. Take up your sword! You listen to Black Metal, so I know you've got one lying around somewhere. And raise it high in victory. Somewhat blemished, yet still a triumphant record. Entertaining to the max.

Rating: 8 out of 10