Malefic Throne's debut album from last year was undoubtedly one of the most significant releases in the death metal genre. Prior to that, they released a 4-song EP in 2022, which was also excellent, but this 8-song album is simply phenomenal, surpassing all expectations both musically and sonically. It's worth noting that the band consists of such renowned death metal musicians as Gene Palubicki (guitars), John Longstreth (drums) and Steve Tucker (bass/vocals), so it's no surprise that the end result is an extremely dark blend reminiscent of bands like Angelcorpse, Origin and Morbid Angel. Each musician's distinctive style comes through perfectly, and Colin Marston's involvement in the recording, mixing and mastering has further elevated the album's quality. As I mentioned earlier, "The Conquering Darkness" is divided into eight chapters, each steeped in the most relentless, complex and blasphemous death metal imaginable. But their death metal isn't just extremely fast, brutal and technical, it's also filled with menacing dynamics, both in the riffs and the drumming. Not to mention the solos, which flow into the listener's ears with an ethereal yet malevolent atmosphere. The entire album is extremely dark and utterly uncompromising, representing the most authentic and purest essence of death metal. The running time exceeds 44 minutes, and throughout it, stormy guitar riffs, tornado-like blast beats, and Steve's infamous deep growls dominate, though in the album's final track, "Forged in Stone", which is also the longest song at nearly 8 minutes – slower, drawn-out riffs take center stage. The trio's frenzied musical mayhem is complemented by Daniel Valeriani's fantastic cover artwork, making this the prefect death metal release of 2025 in every respect. The 12-page booklet includes all the lyrics, a list of contributors to the album, and Belial NecroArts' diabolical interior art, with Cygnus Creative Studio ensuring its perfect layout. So, if you haven't heard this album yet, I definitely recommend giving it a listen! It's death metal at its best, with a pretty obscure and sinister vibe!!!