Album Review – Sun of the Dying / A Throne of Ashes (2025)

These Spanish doomsters continue to walk the path of authentic Death and Doom Metal in their dark and heavy newborn opus.

Inspired by genre classics like My Dying Bride, Anathema, and Paradise Lost, as well as more modern bands such as Ahab, Swallow the Sun, and Shape of Despair, Madrid, Spain-based outfit Sun of the Dying walk the path of authentic Death and Doom Metal, unafraid to incorporate touches from many other styles, like what they have to offer us all in their third full-length opus, entitled A Throne of Ashes. Recorded by Simón Da Silva at The Empty Hall Studio, mixed and mastered by Javi Félez at Moontower Studios, and with a classy artwork and layout by Manuel Cantero of Signonegro, the new album by vocalist Eduardo Guilló, guitarists Casuso and Roberto Rayo, bassist José Yuste, keyboardist David Muñoz, and drummer Diego Weser sees the band take a step even further into the realms of doom, resulting in a worthy follow-up to their 2019 sophomore The Earth Is Silent.

Minimalist sounds gradually grow into an aria of sheer obscurity entitled Martyrs, with Diego’s slow, grim beats matching perfectly with Eduardo’s introspective vocals, who also delivers those deep, enraged guttural we all love so much in Death and Doom Metal. Then enhancing their heaviness to a whole new level, the band offers the massive Black Birds Beneath Your Sky, where Casuso and Roberto hammer their axes in the name of doom supported by the crushing drums by Diego; and David’s keys and orchestrations add an extra touch of finesse and melancholy to With Wings Aflame, flirting with Melodic and Blackened Doom Metal, all boosted by the charming vocals by guest Teresa Marraco of the excellent one-woman project Antinoë. David kicks off the heavy-as-hell, Black Sabbath-infused The Greatest of Winters, while Eduardo vociferates in the name of primeval Death Metal; followed by House of Asterion, even more sluggish, somber and hypnotic, with Casuso, Roberto and José doing an amazing job armed with their stringed weapons. And lastly, closing A Throne of Ashes we face another overdose of Doom Metal titled Of Absence, putting a climatic ending to the darkened path paved by the band in the entire album.

Gloomy and somber from start to finish, A Throne of Ashes is undoubtedly Sun of the Dying’s strongest effort to date, positioning them as one of the most promising names of the Death and Doom Metal scene worldwide. Those Spanish doomsters are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their music, news, and their undisputed live performances, and don’t forget to also stream their heavy and pensive music on Spotify, and to grab a copy of the excellent A Throne of Ashes from their own BandCamp, from AOP Records, or by clicking HERE. Spanish doom has always been a thing of beauty, and it’s bands like Sun of the Dying who make it even more inspiring and captivating as they sit triumphant in their throne of ashes.

Best moments of the album: Martyrs and Black Birds Beneath Your Sky.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 AOP Records

Track listing
1. Martyrs 9:08
2. Black Birds Beneath Your Sky 5:01
3. With Wings Aflame 5:09
4. The Greatest of Winters 7:03
5. House of Asterion 7:22
6. Of Absence 7:43

Band members
Eduardo Guilló – vocals
Casuso – guitar
Roberto Rayo – guitar
José Yuste – bass
David Muñoz – keyboards, orchestration
Diego Weser – drums

Guest musician
Teresa Marraco – vocals on “With Wings Aflame”

Album Review – Intolerance / Waking Nightmares of an Endless Void (2024)

This insane Spanish Death Metal outfit attacks again with their sophomore offering, continuing their masterful march and finding themselves in the embrace of evil.

Hailing from Zaragoza, Spain, the Death Metal mongrels collectively known as Intolerance have been paying homage to timeless Death Metal (and the fetid stench that exuded from the malicious tones of the bands that populated the scene and helped define the genre back in the late ’80s and the early ’90s) since their inception back in 2015, culminating now in 2024 with the release of their sophomore opus, titled Waking Nightmares of an Endless Void. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Moontower Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Juan Alberto Hernandez, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Dark Paths of Humanity is a beast of an album where vocalist and guitarist P., guitarist W., bassist J. and drummer D. continue their masterful march and find themselves in the embrace of evil.

Like a creature arising form the underworld, the ominous intro Towards Perdition will darken the skies before all hell breaks loose in the pulverizing Fade Into Oblivion, an old school Death Metal extravaganza led by the vicious growls by P. and the decimating drums by D. highly recommended for some sick headbanging and of course some action inside the circle pit; followed by The Dark Forest, a violent, brutal and demonic display of the band’s Death Metal, with their guitars exhaling heaviness while P. continues to roar in a lecture in extreme music. And Rite of Passage is a straightforward creation by the quartet with the riffs by P. and W. sounding truly evil and caustic throughout the entire song for our vulgar delectation.

After that we face Hand of Glory, offering our avid and putrid ears six minutes of top-of-the-line extreme music made in Spain, with once again the vocals by P. sounding inhumane and gory, not to mention how intricate the drums by D. are, giving the song extra layers of insanity; and D. keeps hammering his drums in Devourer of Worlds, with his bandmates slashing their stringed axes nonstop, in special J. with his heavy-as-hell bass lines,or another song highly recommended for breaking your neck headbanging. The sulfurous Spontaneous Self-Awareness of the Void will inspire you to slam into the circle pit like a demented creature to the visceral riffs by P. and W. and the always pounding drums by D., resulting in one of the most destructive of all songs; and last but not least, a wild roar by P. kicks off the closing aria Melting Skies, presenting all elements form the band’s core sonority, plus a few haunting moments inserted halfway through the song; however, it’s not as exciting as the rest of the album.

Spanish extreme music has always been an absolute blast for us metalheads, and of course Intolerance keeps fueling our Death Metal inner flame in great fashion with their newborn opus. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their sick music on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase Waking Nightmares of an Endless Void from Memento Mori or from Godz ov War Productions, joining such an amazing and hardworking band on their quest for old school Death Metal towards an endless void.

Best moments of the album: The Dark Forest, Hand of Glory and Spontaneous Self-Awareness of the Void.

Worst moments of the album: Melting Skies.

Released in 2024 Memento Mori/Godz ov War Productions

Track listing
1. Towards Perdition 1:06
2. Fade Into Oblivion 4:17
3. The Dark Forest 4:37
4. Rite of Passage 3:58
5. Hand of Glory 6:09
6. Devourer of Worlds 4:15
7. Spontaneous Self-Awareness of the Void 5:58
8. Melting Skies 6:46

Band members
P. – vocals, guitars
W. – guitars
J. – bass
D. – drums