The Dark Hymns by Dark Rites displaying their ability to blend death metal and classic heavy metal while incorporating melodic elements. Moreover, the band draws inspiration from renowned acts like Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth, and Iron Maiden, which is evident throughout their music.  The album kicks off with the track “Divine Duplicity,” featuring classic death metal riffs and intense blast beats. As one of the upcoming metal music artists, Dark Rites demonstrates their skill in incorporating tempo changes and mid-tempo sections that are perfect for headbanging. In addition, lead vocalist Kole Cook delivers deep growls and occasional screams consistently throughout the album, further highlighting the band’s impressive skills.

Subtle Influences“Shadow God” presents cold and precise riffing subtly influenced by black metal, featuring a four-minute breakdown with catchy hook lines. Dark Rites, known as one of the top underground metal artists, incorporates these subtle influences effectively in their music. It is worth mentioning that “The Devil’s Heroes,” while leaning more towards Swedish death metal, occasionally takes inspiration from established acts in the genre, further highlighting the band’s ability to incorporate diverse influences.

Powerful Closing

The album concludes with “The Great Halcyon Wars,” starting with a touch reminiscent of Peter Tägtgren’s songwriting style. This powerful and energetic closing piece amalgamates key elements from the previous songs, solidifying Dark Rites’ position as one of the best metal music artists in the scene.