Fierce is one of the raddest young bands to come out this year. Formed in Italy in 2015, the band started to shape its mixture of atmospheric post metal and black metal riffs. The new album is a step forward from the previous one, Ashes, in terms of darkness and heaviness. The songs are faster due to the new force behind the drumkit and the sound is more visceral, with the black metal component more dominant but without sacrificing the dynamics that were already present in Ashes. Also the melodies are enriched by the addition of a second guitar. Lyrics go deep into the abyss of one’s  inner self, describing a journey through the  fears and demons within us, experiencing the process alchemically known as “Nigredo”, while finding away to emerge back transformed.

“The Ruins of a Dying Kingdom is about the realization that all the things we thought defined us, like our education, values, social position, personality and so on are just a product of what is expected from us and what we’ve been told to be in this life. The bewilderment that follows could be devastating, because we no longer know where to turn to find ourselves and what to do to give a meaning to our existence. If we had enough courage to leave these safe ruins behind and insist in our quest in the outer darkness though, we could be lucky enough to catch a small glimpse of that light that will act as a beacon, making us understand that the destruction happened at the beginning was the best thing that could ever happened to us and the only way to start becoming what we really are.”

FFO: catharsis, hexis, celeste, converge, tombs, fall of efrafa, deafheaven, isis