Review by Felix on May 6, 2025.

If you ask me, the Australian scene is fantastic. Other countries such as Italy, Greece or Canada have a lot to offer as well and I am patriotic enough to mention Germany in this context, too. Anyway, the Australians distinguish themselves from their international competitors. Deströyer 666, Assaulter or Shrapnel deliver an extra dose of insidious malignancy. Denouncement Pyre do not live on the fringes of this infernal society. They are an integral component. Whenever the band reaches its top form, their songs become a maelstrom of anger, fury, desperation and aggression. A little tendency to hypnotic elements is not missing either. The profound depth of the punchy production forms the necessary requirement in order to leave nothing but scorched earth. That's all very well, but the crucial question remains. How many times does the formation exploit its huge potential? Please keep in mind that we should not be too lenient. Former monuments such as "An Extension of the Void" or "Darkness Manifest" have proven that Denouncement Pyre are able to connect skill und will in an outstanding manner. (Guess the D.P. fanboy in me wants to take command, but, as you surely know, I am a bastion of incorruptible objectivity.)

Well, the big picture shows a very solid hit rate. Denouncement Pyre have not forgotten how to write sharp riffs and they also construct grim yet melodic soundscapes which will be enjoyed by warsluts like K.K. from Deströyer 666. Some parts of the album stand shoulder to shoulder to a certain number of fragments of "Wildfire", the recently published Deströyer album. Nevertheless, Denouncement Pyre do not lack of an own identity and they are in their element whenever they pick up speed. Vice versa, this means that the relatively high number of mid-tempo parts is slightly dubious. Of course, the band has the competency to present strong mid-paced sequences as well, just listen to "Wounds of Golgotha", which creates a crackling tension. It's rather slow versus the profit from the profound heaviness of the massive production that I have indicated before. Especially the intensifying guitars between the verses generate an impenetrable sound. Nevertheless, the crucial element is the break after three minutes, which leads to the rapid parts of the song. It adds the final touch.

I have already mentioned the mix and despite its more or less contemporary touch, I like it very much. The guitars have a pretty ominous sound and the vocal performance of "D." (longer pseudonyms were sold out) spreads a demonic aura as well. Bass fetishists will not praise the production, but from my point of view, the sound engineers have done a very respectable job. I recommend to lend an ear to the sound cascades at the beginning of the diabolic "Scars Adorn the Whore in Red". But not only the first tones of this number are exciting. The different modules of this song are connected in a virtuoso manner.

Let's have a look at the last pieces of album. "Witness" is another interesting piece that avoids lukewarm mediocrity with big ease. Its rabid robustness remains unaffected by a hymnal guitar line, but the ponderous second half of the track prevents a real killer. The following instrumental intermezzo does not lack of spirit, the closer fails to shine with special moments. The trio at the end of the running order illustrates the (small) dilemma of "Black Sun Unbound". Denouncement Pyre act on a high level, the songs are really good, but sometimes the ultimate strike is missing. Thus, the album is not as brilliant as its predecessor, but still a strong output. Moreover, the integrity of the band cannot be called into question. Happy Australia.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Nathan on May 6, 2025.

While I was unfamiliar with Denouncement Pyre prior to preparing for this review, their style is one I can easily recognize. Australian extreme metal bands, be they chaotic like Bestial Warlust or more deliberate like Destroyer 666, have a certain thrashy yet epic feel that you can't find anywhere else. My first thought upon firing up Black Sun Unbound was "man, this sure does sound like Destroyer 666", and fortunately in this case that's not a bad thing. Phoenix Rising may have a great aesthetic (and a few amazing tracks like "I am the Wargod"), but the album does have spots where it drags, and the warlike atmosphere becomes contrived and hollow. Denouncement Pyre takes that "glorious final battle" atmosphere, but they do so with much more dense songwriting that doesn't spend a lot of time messing around. As a result, Black Sun Unbound stands out even when held up against its more notorious peers.

Previous albums by Denouncement Pyre are solid listens in their own right, but the band has matured in terms of both musicianship and production quality on Black Sun Unbound, doing so without rounding down the sharp edges of their riffs. They've always had their fair share of nods to Swedish melodic black metal like Dissection and Watain, but the seamless combination of that more straightforward riffing style with the more gradual sense of grandiosity characteristic of Australian black/thrash songwriting makes for an album that is as frantic as it is melodic. Sections of songs like "Deathless Dreaming" as well as "Scars Adorn the Whore in Red" contain the obligatory blast-and-tremolo base, but then there's moments like the title track and "Transform the Aether" that take their time and weave oddly pleasant melodies. The style Denouncement Pyre is going for is one they've been fine-tuning for a while at this point, and it shows, because the songwriting flows masterfully.

Though well-crafted by experienced hands, there's not going to be many riffs on here that a seasoned fan of the bands above wouldn't be familiar with. There's enough diversity and genre-blending that Black Sun Unbound retains its own personality, sure, but this likely won't get much attention outside of people who have already bought into what Denouncement Pyre is selling. That's kind of a shame, really; with the more abstract art direction and tighter performance on Black Sun Unbound, the band seems to be getting significantly more nuanced and serious, and they're much more well-rounded as a result. One would hope they would be rewarded with an expansion in fanbase, but unfortunately, that's not always the way things work in metal. Perhaps they lack the theatrical flair of Watain or the whimsicality of Destroyer 666, but every riff on this album is solid either way. The snarly rasp could perhaps use a bit more oomph in the music, but it fits well, as is usually the case when guitarists perform harsh vocals. There isn't a moment on Black Sun Unbound that sounds out of place, but the caveat of this consistency is that no one track really stands out or takes things to the next level. If you were familiar with the band before this review, this is probably already in your top 10 albums of 2016, but even if you're a newbie like I was but generally like your black/thrash light on the trimmings and heavy on the riffs, give Black Sun Unbound a shot, as it has many small (but pleasant) surprises to uncover.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10