Fascinating tragedy

➤ "… it feels like a fantasy adventure set to music … at times stormy, at times melancholic, at times brutal. But always with passion and a clear vision. If you’re into melodic extreme Metal with atmosphere, powerful guitar melodies, and a healthy dose of adventure, you absolutely must climb this mountain."
(The Anti Archive)

Always Heading East

10 / 10
➤ "... explosive mixture ... epic ... melancholic … great melodies ... predominantly midtempo ... the vocals put the crown on the whole thing ..."
(Bleeding4Metal)

10 / 10
➤ "... OLD RUINS manage to really entertain and captivate the listener well from beginning to end. Since all tracks convince, I would highlight the entire album. Big compliments to the guys for this appealing work, which builds a stable bridge between Heavy and Black Metal."
(AMMO Supports The Underground)

9,5 / 10
➤ "OLD RUINS deliver a tour de force on their full-length debut, combining the raw frenzy of Black Metal with exquisite melodies and riffs from Heavy and Epic Metal. This album is by no means just a homage to a cult game, but skillfully forged black stainless steel!"
(Soundmagnet)

5,5 / 6
➤ "Sounds really good ... can convince from the beginning with its dynamics and rhythm ... many subtleties and impressive guitar solos show the potential ... no weak points audible ... playfully convincing and rousing ... the mixture of Black and Heavy Metal influences leads to a very strong overall work ... buy recommendation!"
(Seelenfeuer)

4,5 / 5
➤ "... pushes the boundaries of the genre and sets new standards ... combination of traditional Black Metal and experimental elements that steers the genre in a new direction ... diverse, ranging from atmospheric melodies to raging blast beats ... the musical complexity, lyrical depth and diverse soundscape make this work a feast for the ears."
(MetalUnderground AT)

9 / 10
➤ "... a dark, atmospheric album, coupled with influences from Death Metal and doom, as well as from classic Heavy Metal ... anyone who likes dark and atmospheric Black Metal should definitely risk an ear here ..."
(Moshpit Passion)

8,7 / 10
➤ "... an album rich in detail, full of subtleties ... multi-layered in its orientation, but still at home in melodic Black Metal. A promising newcomer, of whom you certainly haven't heard the last ... my insider tip for this month. Strong."
(Zephyr's Odem)

8,5 / 10
➤ "... atmospheric Black Metal, which has taken off elements of epic-tinged traditional Metal ... the band masters the balancing act between blast beats, groove and more sustained doomy parts ... sounds very differentiated ..."
(Rock Hard DE)

8,5 / 10
➤ "... a heavyweight ... jewel ..."
(Saitenkult)

8,5 / 10
➤ "… Krajewski's harsh vocals are typical for the genre, but his fine guitar leads and harmonies are worthy of any Epic Metal combo and have nothing to do with some blind bludgeoning from the Black Metal mud corner. By the way, this also applies to the production …"
(Obliveon)

8,5 / 10
➤ "This is how Melodic Black Metal must be. Here, a black dripping atmosphere is conjured out of the hat ... falling for the melancholy of the black vocals ... strong riffing, which could almost be classified as heavy metal ... this Black'n'Heavy mixture is a great mood, doesn't let boredom arise and immediately runs into the auditory canals to burn itself there ..."
(Hellfire)

8 / 10
➤ "… very great sounding atmospheric and melodic mixture of Black, Death, Doom and Heavy Metal …"
(A Different Shade Of Black Metal)

8 / 10
➤ "Rounded off by an oldschool but nevertheless tidy and powerful production that should satisfy purists as well as friends of modern Metal productions. Let's hope that the Ruhr area formation will follow this promising starting signal with many more releases, because here we could have a very exciting new entry in the black metal lexicon. And in such a hopelessly overrun genre, this fact alone is a small accolade!"
(Powermetal DE)

8 / 10
➤ "... epic sound that lies somewhere between late-80s Bathory, mid-range Immortal, early In Flames and Dissection ... while not missing out on great melodies and clear references to classic Heavy Metal ... melancholy and epicness are the two cornerstones ..."
(Metal DE)

8 / 10
➤ "... works excellently over the entire playing time ... varied, full of strong melodic arcs ... with numerous, successful epic moments ... the so-called Gothenburg sound as well as Doom and Death Metal are also cleverly integrated ... appealing level ... the production is quite powerful and relatively modern, more like a Power Metal record ... all kinds of subtleties make this album a feast for the ears ..."
(Neckbreaker)

8 / 10
➤ "… a heavy reliance on melody … not afraid to measure themselves with less explosive but still rocky dynamics … great passion of the musicians involved …"
(Music Lair)

12 / 15
➤ "... should convince not only the quality-conscious Black- but also the inclined Epic-Metaller ..."
(Legacy Magazin)

7,6 / 10
➤ "… an ambitious first album … perfectly structured … goes deep into melodic black grounds, with an extensive repertoire of majestic riffs …"
(Black Metal Spirit)

7,5 / 10
➤ "... score with a proper Heavy Metal attitude ... spirit meets melancholy and finds a nice balance ... the songs are varied, but always have their own style and sound homogeneous ... everything sounds like from one cast ... interesting and detailed, without overwhelming ... comparisons to Alcest, but also newer Tribulation spontaneously come to mind ..."
(Crossfire Webzine)

7,5 / 10
➤ "... Black Metal á la Immortal with a strong shot of melodic Heavy Metal ... mostly kept snappy ... properly entertaining debut album ... quite close to the goal of independence ..."
(Deaf Forever)

7,5 / 10
➤ "… an impressive variety of tracks, characterised by sublime and majestic moments that create a chilling atmosphere, with fantastic riffs and captivating solos backed by excellent drumming, making it all very grand and imposing."
(Groundcast)

3,7 / 5
➤ "... sounds like dark big battles ... besides genre-typical jangling and tremolo riffs there is also a good portion of Power, Thrash and Death Metal ... partly almost traditional metal underpinnings. That makes mood. The sound is also not cold and clanking, but quite dense and fat ... a plus of atmosphere even reminds something of the Irish Primordial ... quite surprising ..."
(Handwritten Mag)

7 / 10
➤ "It almost feels like there is a hidden meaning underneath the surface of Christian Krajewski’s vocals with a fresh emotive quality rising to the surface from the black depths, something which works very well … despite being shrouded in a cloak of darker atmospheres there is a real sense of epic majesty ..."
(Metal Noise)

7 / 10
➤ "… a very cool and great all round performance … I am certainly impressed by the mixture of Black Metal with Melodic and Heavy Metal attributes as it gives the album a great personality and character in sound too … they merge Black Metal with such variety in style and creating their own sound …"
(Metal Temple)

9 / 15
➤ "... straightforward melodic Black Metal with few stylistic breaks ... the technical realisation is flawless throughout ... this variant of Swedish homage is much more tasteful than some half-baked In Flames copies with core affinity ..."
(Musikreviews DE)

➤ "OLD RUINS do a lot of things right on their debut 'Always Heading East', above all they know how to create an atmosphere that sweeps the listener along and where it doesn't matter if you know the source of inspiration or set off ignorantly down the dark paths to Tristram. Black/heavy/doom metal that isn't hard to digest and is fun to listen to."
(Breakout)

➤ "… they master a broader spectrum of Metal music … sounds sharp and does not have the atmosphere that the representatives of the genre usually aim for … compositionally it is also quite edgy, but this is due to the organisational talent that seems to generally characterise these creators … the melodic moments are pronounced … carry something distinctive …"
(Flight Of Pegasus)

➤ "In many ways, the album hits those emotions that grab you, consume you and at the same time are delivered so (almost) elegantly that you just want more all the time … there are elements of several branches of Metal, but imagine some of the early In Flames, a little Children Of Bodom, a little Arch Enemy and then add a little Tribulation and mix it well together, and you have the sound of OLD RUINS - presented here on a really good album that will surely appeal to many."
(Rancor Metalzine)

➤ "A crushing Heavy/Post-Black Metal album. It's heavy. It hits hard. At the same time, it's also beautiful and soaring high with its elegant moments that can touch your very soul. A moving record while being brutal with a high-dynamic sound."
(Noisewriter)

➤ "Dissection/(early) In Flames/Dark Tranquillity meets Epic Heavy Metal in all its powerful, enthralling, captivating glory. High Heavens, Burning Hells!"
(KMäNriffs)

➤ "… much to love about this … heavy, but often not blistering, with headbanging beats and hypnotic riffs … the subtle Black Metal influence is there, without OLD RUINS having to rely on it much, creating a unique sound … great …"
(Wanna Hear a Great Song Today?)

➤ "... clear recommendation ... melodic guitar harmonies ... OLD RUINS are clever songwriters and change tempo and mood in pretty much all tracks again and again, so that no boredom arises ... really strong album, somewhere between Black and Heavy Metal, whereby the latter clearly predominates ... is really fun ... I had not expected otherwise after the great EP ..."
(Vampster)

➤ "... very atmospheric ... influences from Melodic Metal clearly recognisable ... slight doom influences that give the songs more depth and balance, making them even more accessible than they already are ... perfectly staged and also produced ... professionals at work ..."
(Metalglory)

➤ "... imagine some early In Flames, some Children Of Bodom, some Arch Enemy and then add a little Tribulation and mix it all together well, presented on a really good album that I'm sure many will enjoy."
(Metaltone DK)

➤ "... very enjoyable melodic Black/Heavy Metal …"
(Ethereal Black Metal)

➤ "… strongly reminiscent of the 90s and bands like Necrophobic, Gates Of Ishtar and Children Of Bodom … huge variety … numerous sublime, majestic moments create a goosebump-inducing atmosphere … even reaches Dissection levels … fantastic riffs … rousing lead guitars … excellent drumming … in short: you can’t play this style any better … many passages that make you want to kneel down … OLD RUINS give us one of the best Metal albums of the year, across all genres …"
(Epic Metal Blog)

➤ "… very addictive … the band chooses the dual path of Black Metal and Heavy Metal, succeeding in the feat of bringing these two souls together in a rather convincing manner …"
(The Murder Inn)

Album Of The Year
(Metal Pedia)

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