Arcane Marrow returns with their sophomore album, Rising in the Early Dawn. Members of this band have been split among many of the different releases under the Moonlight Cypress Archetype label which has diversified their skills. Sharpening and honing the blade making this an incredibly tight and precise listen. At this point the band knows their sound and is confident in their skills proving so.
I love an album with lots of riffs and there’s plenty of it in this release. The album starts with a rumbling guitar riff that explodes into raw black metal madness. There’s a bleak nihilism to the overall tone of the release, still leaning heavy into that raw aesthetic but elevating the sound compared to the first album. The production and sound I feel is brighter and sounds much more full compared to the demo quality recording of the last album that gave it its charm. Clackner’s guitars and vocals are certainly the focal point of the band. The harsh wails meld perfectly with his harsh riffs. Ormerod’s drumming is also phenomenal and he only keeps getting better release after release. From rapid blast beats to punishing d-beats, I have always felt all of his hits had a southern twang to it, creating a very iconic flavor.
Arcane Marrow’s Rising in the Early Dawn feels like a middle finger to the algorithm age. While everyone else is trend-hopping and polishing their sound for the feed, Arcane Marrow just bleeds raw, unfiltered black metal. No compromises, no concessions to the gods of engagement, this is the real thing, and it’s quietly carving its name into the short list of modern USBM classics.
You can feel the obsession in every riff, every throat-shredding vocal, every moment that refuses to be background noise. This isn’t music made to be “discovered” by playlists; it’s music that demands you seek it out in the dark. And maybe five, ten years down the line, people are going to look back and realize this album was a turning point. The underground might be fractured or half-dead by then, but Rising in the Early Dawn will still be standing.
I have written extensively about Moonlight Cypress Archetypes and it’s releases. Impressed in different ways by each one, but Rising in the Early Dawn I think will be an album that will hold a special spot for me. So if I haven’t convinced you already to listen to this album, you’re missing out. It’s certainly an experience.