Hail, you shadowed bards of the Black Metal Archives—Sean here, still spellbound by the poetic darkness of Heruka’s Panacea. Spun this today, and it’s like Italy’s ancient crypts sang a melodic black metal lament that echoes through the ages. Snagged it off Bandcamp, dropped March 21, 2025, via Rude Awakening Records, and its six tracks of gothic fury are a journey worth taking—let’s delve into this melancholic abyss!
Heruka hails from Italy, a five-piece weaving sorrow—Nekrom (vocals), Moha (guitars), Adranor (guitars), Cruz (bass), and Nemuri Shi (drums). Panacea is their latest EP, blending raw aggression with poetic depth, sung entirely in Italian.
“Peisithanatos” opens with a ferocious riff from Moha and Adranor, their guitars snarling with a melancholic edge that recalls early Cradle of Filth—Nekrom’s vocals are a theatrical growl, dripping with existential anguish, and I’m hooked, headbanging to its somber fury. Nemuri Shi’s drums drive the track with a relentless, ritualistic beat, while Cruz’s bass adds a deep, resonant undertone—my chest tightens, caught in its poetic wrath.
“Accabadora” slows into a haunting dirge, guitars weaving a sorrowful melody, Nekrom’s voice a lament for the damned—it’s a chilling ode, leaving me breathless.
“Taedium Vitae” surges with raw, melodic intensity, guitars soaring like a storm over ancient ruins.
“Francis Bacon” brings a dissonant, chaotic edge—Nekrom’s vocals turn even more venomous, and I’m swaying, lost in its tormented artistry.
“Panacea” unfolds with a majestic, gothic beauty, guitars and vocals merging into a cry for redemption—its emotional depth hits hard, stirring my soul.
“Danza (re-recorded 2003 version)” closes with a fiery, folkish energy—guitars twirl like a medieval dance, Nemuri Shi’s drums galloping with vigor, and I’m thrashing, swept up in its ancient spirit. Heruka’s sound is a gothic tapestry—Moha and Adranor’s guitars blend second-wave black metal’s rawness with melodic grace, Cruz’s bass a steady shadow, Nemuri Shi’s kit a heartbeat of sorrow, and Nekrom’s vocals a poetic blade. It’s raw yet intricate—feels like they summoned this in a moonlit Italian crypt, fueled by history and grief.
In black metal’s lineage, Panacea sits with Emperor’s early melodic grandeur and Moonspell’s gothic melancholy, but Heruka’s Italian lyrics and poetic depth carve a unique, baroque path. This EP is a haunting elegy—blast it loud, let it pierce you, and join me in this poetic descent.
You sorrow-bound shades, drop your takes below—how did this EP stir your darkness? Stream it on Bandcamp and Spotify and embrace the lament!
Stay haunted, you blackened wraiths, and keep the melancholy alive!
PRESS SOURCE: Against PR
RATING: 3 OUT OF 5
RATING SYSTEM:
- 0 – 1: Fucking shit
- 1 – 2: Shit
- 2 – 3: Not Bad Shit
- 3 – 4: Pretty Good Shit
- 4 – 5: Amazing Fucking Shit
- 5: The Best Shit You Will Ever Hear
