As I sit here playing catch-up with the pile of albums and EPs that have slipped past me over the last few months, I’ve made a pact with myself: from now on, I’m only reviewing stuff I actually enjoy. Life’s too short to waste time writing about music that doesn’t click with me, and there’s no point in me pissing on someone else’s chips just because their sound isn’t to my taste. That doesn’t mean I don’t give everything a fair shake — I do. Each release gets its shot and more than one listen. But there are days where one lacklustre record bleeds into another, and it makes me question why I even bother.
And then, without fail, something lands in my inbox that snaps me right out of the rut. A record that makes me remember why I started doing this in the first place. Today, that record is Veins of Sulfur by Starlit Pyre, a four-track EP of Melodic Death Metal that had me grinning like the Cheshire Cat by the time it finished.
What struck me first about Veins of Sulfur was the clarity of vision. This isn’t a band fumbling around trying to decide if they want to be Death, Melodic Death, or something in between. Starlit Pyre know exactly what they’re doing and exactly how they want to sound. The guitars carve out adamantium-sharp melodies without falling into predictability, weaving in themes that stick in your head without ever sliding into the saccharine. They’ve got that knack of writing riffs that are not just heavy but memorable — the kind you catch yourself humming later without even realising it.
The rhythm section doesn’t take a back seat either. The drums are tight, dynamic, and used to full effect — not just keeping time, but dictating the flow and mood of each track. They drive the aggression where it’s needed and pull back just enough to let the melodic passages breathe. The bass, often overlooked in this genre, punches through the mix with enough weight to give everything a proper backbone, locking in with the drums to stop the melodies from floating away untethered.
Vocally, this is a performance that balances pure aggression with control. There’s no sense of someone straining or trying too hard to sound brutal — it feels natural, delivered with conviction and intent. It’s the kind of voice that sounds like it could peel paint off the walls, but it’s never one-note or monotonous. There are shades, accents, and subtle variations that keep it engaging throughout.
Production-wise, Veins of Sulfur avoids the traps that many modern Melodic Death releases fall into. It’s polished enough that every instrument gets its space, but not so overproduced that the life is squeezed out of it. You still get that raw energy, the sense of a band playing their hearts out, rather than a product sanded down within an inch of its life. It’s a clean sound, but one with grit under its fingernails.
And the songs themselves? Not a weak link among them. Each of the four tracks feels distinct, but they flow together in a way that makes the EP feel like a complete statement rather than just a collection of songs. There’s a real sense of pacing here — enough speed and ferocity to keep the adrenaline pumping, tempered with moments where the melodies are allowed to shine through. It’s a careful balance, and Starlit Pyre walk that line with confidence.
The other thing I have to say is that Veins of Sulfur feels purposeful. There’s nothing tacked on, nothing bloated. Every section feels like it’s there for a reason, and that makes the EP incredibly replayable. When it ended, I didn’t feel drained or overwhelmed — I felt like I wanted to go straight back to the beginning and hear it again. That’s always the sign of a band doing something right.
So yes, the last few weeks of trawling through records that didn’t quite land might have been frustrating, but Veins of Sulfur made the whole process worth it. It’s the kind of EP that reaffirms why I sift through the endless stream of submissions in the first place: because somewhere in there is always a gem like this, waiting to be discovered.
Veins of Sulfur is out now via the Starlit Pyre Bandcamp page.
CHOICE CUT: On My Own
The Black Metal Archives Verdict: Starlit Pyre have delivered a sharp, purposeful, and memorable slab of Melodic Death Metal that deserves your time, attention, and respect.
