Sepulchral Curse - Crimson Moon Evocations

Sepulchral Curse is a Finnish blackened death metal band from Turku, formed in 2013, known for blending dark fantasy, occult, spirituality, and mysticism themes in their music. Their lineup consists of vocalist Kari Kankaanpää, guitarists Jaakko Riihimäki and Aleksi Luukka, bassist and backing vocalist Niilas Nissilä, and drummer Johannes Rantala. Over the years, they have released four EPs: A Birth in Death (2014), At the Onset of Extinction (2016), Deathbed Sessions (2022), and Howl of the Cursed (2023), along with three full-length albums: Only Ashes Remain (2020), Abhorrent Dimensions (2023), and Crimson Moon Evocations (2025). Their latest album, Crimson Moon Evocations, was released on February 28, 2025.

Some albums leave a lasting impression from the very first listen. Crimson Moon Evocations is one of them. I came across it about ten days ago, and on that first day, I listened to it six times in a row without stopping. Since then, I have had to listen to it at least once or twice every single day. This is not just a great blackened death metal album. It is something more than that. It is the kind of album that feels like an entire world unto itself, where each track is not just a song but a piece of a much bigger, interconnected whole.

It reminds me of records like Paradise Lost’s The Plague Within (2015), Vektor’s Terminal Redux (2016), Tribulation’s Down Below (2018), and Archspire’s Bleed The Future (2021). Those albums are not similar in genre, but they all share something in common. They feel complete. They flow from start to finish as one massive, singular journey, rather than just a collection of songs.

Like The Plague Within, there is a weight to this album that makes it feel monolithic and crushing, yet deeply emotional at the same time. Like Terminal Redux, this is an album that demands to be heard in full, experienced as one continuous statement. Like Bleed The Future, every moment feels like it was deliberately placed for maximum impact, leaving no wasted space. Like Down Below, there is a dark, immersive atmosphere that lingers well after the music stops playing.

I want to be clear. This album does not sound like anything else I have mentioned here. Sepulchral Curse is doing something that stands entirely on its own. It is just that they all share a sense of totality, where every moment serves a larger purpose, and the album as a whole feels fully realized, intentional, and unwavering in its vision.

From the moment Crimson Moon Evocations begins, it pulls you in and does not let go. The production is massive, thick, and overwhelming in the best way possible. It engulfs you but never feels cluttered or overbearing. Every instrument has its space, and every sound is balanced to perfection.

The guitar tone is monstrous, a dense and oppressive force that shifts between crushing low-end chords, eerie harmonized leads, and slower, almost hypnotic melodies that weave through the heaviness. The low-end is crushing, with the bass adding an ominous weight to every note. This is not just about sheer heaviness. It is about creating a deep, all-encompassing atmosphere, where even the smallest melodies feel ghostly and otherworldly.

The drumming is punishing, with beats that hit like gunfire and slower, ritualistic grooves that make the album breathe like a living entity. The balance of speed and weight keeps the entire record engaging. Just when you think you have settled into one level of intensity, the album shifts gears, either pulling you into an even deeper level of chaos and fury or letting you sink into doom-laden depths.

Despite its brutality, Crimson Moon Evocations is never just about aggression. The way the melodies intertwine with the ferocity makes this a hypnotic listen, pulling you deeper and deeper into its atmosphere with every track.

This album is as precise as it is overwhelming. The guitar work is intricate without being overindulgent, constantly shifting between savage riffing and eerie, melodic passages that add a sense of haunting grandeur to the chaos. The rhythm section is just as impressive. The bass does not just follow along, it drives the music forward, making every moment feel dense and colossal.

The drums are a highlight, delivering a performance that is both unrelenting and dynamic, knowing exactly when to explode in a full-on assault and when to slow down to let the weight of the music settle in.

But the vocals might be the most commanding part of all. Kari Kankaanpää’s voice is a force of nature, a cavernous, guttural roar that sounds like an incantation being spoken from the depths of some vast abyss. His delivery is ritualistic, feeling less like a performance and more like an invocation of something powerful and ancient. The way the vocals sit in the mix, commanding but never overpowering, adds to the album’s immersive quality, making it feel like one unified entity rather than separate elements working together.

“Wildfires” – A violent, relentless opener that immediately establishes the album’s scale and intensity.

Every song on Crimson Moon Evocations contributes to its overwhelming atmosphere, but "House of the Black Moon" is the defining track of the album. It is the perfect balance of crushing heaviness and haunting, emotionally charged melody. The guitars churn and maul, creating a sensation similar to being drilled into the ground, as the song oscillates between eerie, layered melodies and sheer aggression. Sepulchral Curse demonstrates an incredible dynamic range, shifting effortlessly between brutality and hypnotic hooks in a way that feels both suffocating and mesmerizing. This track feels like being punched and hugged at the same time. The heaviness is devastating, yet the melodies hit just as hard emotionally as the riffs do sonically. Every note feels deliberate, seamlessly guiding the chaos rather than just existing within it. It is a song that stays with you, lingering in your mind long after the album has ended. No matter how many times I listen to this record, I always find myself returning to this track. It is an absolute masterpiece.

"The Locust Scar" – A persistent assault of blackened fury, driven by blistering speed and crushing riffs. The guitars tear through with precision, while the drumming propels everything forward like an unstoppable force.

“Beneath the Dismal Tides” – A crushing, slow-burning piece that feels like sinking deeper into an abyss.

“Empress of the Dead” – The beginning of this song is just something else. The slow buildup is mind-blowing, creeping forward with an unsettling intensity. Then at 0:48, it transitions into perfection. The entire atmosphere becomes even more haunting and chilling, like a presence growing in the background, suffocating but unseen. Every note between 0:48 and 1:11 feels like it is pulling you into something vast and terrifying, filling the air with dread. Then, at 1:11, it finally erupts, unleashing a force so powerful that it feels like the ground is collapsing beneath you. One of my favorite things about this track is how Kari Kankaanpää shifts between monstrous growls and piercing screams. The way his voice moves between these extremes makes the song feel even more chaotic, like being pulled in two directions at once. It adds another level of intensity, making this one of the most spine-chilling moments on the entire album.

“The Currents of Chaos” – This track does not immediately come in with full force. It builds its presence slowly before reaching a midpoint where the energy unexpectedly tapers down, giving space for a more subdued, atmospheric passage. But just as the listener settles into this moment of restraint, the song picks up again, dragging you back into its crushing weight. This push and pull between intensity and eerie stillness makes it one of the most dynamic pieces on the album.

“Crimson Passages” – The perfect closer, leaving the listener adrift in the aftermath of something vast and unshakable. The band makes sure you feel this sense of finality from the very first moment. Before the vocals even begin, they launch into a phenomenal guitar solo, an opening statement that sets the tone for what is about to come. It is not just a transition into the song but a moment that cements the album’s weight, letting you know that this is the final descent into the abyss. As the track unfolds, it moves with a sense of grandeur, deliberately pacing itself like a slow march toward something inescapable. And then, the way it ends is almost poetic, like the band is standing at the edge of the abyss, staring into the void, waiting for a standing ovation. It is the kind of ending that demands silence before applause, a moment to absorb the sheer magnitude of what just happened.

Some albums are great. Others are special. Crimson Moon Evocations is one of those rare albums that does not just hit hard. It leaves a lasting impact.

From the first day I heard it, I knew it was something that would stay with me. Ten days later, I still have to listen to it at least once or twice a day. It has that rare quality of feeling both immediate and timeless, the kind of album I know I will still be returning to five or ten years from now, pressing play and thinking, damn, this is still a masterpiece.

If you want an album that is not just music but an experience, Crimson Moon Evocations is one you absolutely need to hear.

---

For more, visit the following links: Instagram | Bandcamp | Facebook  | Spotify