Review by Saxy S for Sear Bliss - Heavenly Down (2024)

Heavenly Down is the ninth studio album from the Hungarian black metal band, Sear Bliss, and the first since 2018's Letters from the Edge. Now I do remember hearing Letters from the Edge in passing during that year and I do remember enjoying my time with it, but I can also admit that I do not remember much about it. What I do remember is that while it was a very melodic album, it also ran long as it was more inclined to bleed into the atmospheric. Heavenly Down does still retain that atmospheric touch, but they have been forced into the background once again. This album is much more straightforward of a black metal experience in that regard. The songwriting is more refined and precise and is maintained by a wonderfully mixed bass line that carries this whole record forward.

I found myself locking in to the openness of the album. Lots of metal albums like to fill every single void with space through double guitar lines or synth breaks, but with Heavenly Down, that bass fundamental is paramount. The guitar during this record drops out a ton and it creates a new level of excitement and drive whenever it returns. The trombones on the other hand...

I think the band deserves credit for trying something new and I also believe that there are some moments when the trombone parts really emphasize the songs. Other moments sound really cheesy and blocky. The space ambient interlude "Forgotten Deities" would have been a great transition from "Heavenly Down" into "The Winding Path" if not for the trombones to ruin the calm moment with the blaring. And that is not to discredit the work or the timbre of the trombone's playing; it's just a loud instrument and during this passage, its presence was unnecessary.

Heavenly Down shows signs of brilliance in its songwriting; I really enjoy how the final track "Feather in Ashes" rounds out the album with a tempo, key and style that is reminiscent of the opener "Infinite Grey", while still retaining its melodic identity. I like the production of the purely black metal foundation, and I really enjoy the use of space throughout. However those trombones, while they have their moments, can also have moments where they feel like they've been added out of necessity rather than artistic purpose. Still, solid record from a severely underrated group.

Best Songs: The Winding Path, The Upper World, Feather in Ashes, Infinite Grey