DEATHLESS LEGACY
“Damnatio Aeterna”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Deathless Legacy are a heavy metal band from Italy formed in 2013, releasing seven albums to date – ‘Rise From The Grave’ (2014), ‘The Gathering’ (2016), ‘Dance With Devils’ (2017), ‘Rituals Of Black Magic’ (2018), ‘Saturnalia’ (2020), ‘Mater Larvarum’ (2022), and ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ (2025).

Founded by singer Steva (Eleonora Vaiana) and drummer Frater Orion, the bands current line-up is completed by guitarist Stg. Bones, keyboardist Alex Van Eden, bass player Deadwood Nick and performer The Red Witch – thematically, Deathless Legacy offer a unique blend of symphonic, Gothic heavy metal with incredibly tense atmospheres and a haunting aura that sends a massive chill down the spine, the band delivering a dark, unapologetic journey of horror metal. So prepare for an eerie, tension fuelled hour of chills, thrills and mystery as the title song ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ lurches forth with a blast of haunting choral vocals, the band assuming a mid tempo elegant yet evocative mid tempo march, the intoxicating vocals of lead singer Steva a hundred percent irresistible as Deathless Legacy ooze a sound that I can only describe as a darker, more devilish straight outta hell Powerwolf! And with a livelier, more up tempo feel, ‘Miserere’ sees, or rather hears the band introduce a little traditional heavy metal, the bands root haunting nature still very much in force with ominous organs the glue that holds everything together – and when I say “everything together” I mean every song on offer.

The opening brace has been diverse, coming at you from very different areas within metal territory, ‘Get On Your Knees’ stepping over the border into blues rock – the sultry vocals of Steva unbelievably sexy, turning every male (and female) on to the bands music, my attention well and truly held by the Italian singer! And as regular readers already know, my one true metal love is, and has always been (and always will be) Doro Pesch, a singer I could easily look and listen to twenty four hours a day for my entire life – Steva joining a whole host of singers behind Doro that have charmed, captivated, and seduced me! Anyway, back to reality and the matter in hand, reviewing Deathless Legacy’s new album, ‘Communion’ providing the biggest chill heard, err sorry, felt so far – the band hitting very hard from the one minute mark! The ground shuddering march here is immense, the elegant yet haunting riffage simply incredible as ‘Communion’ keeps a tight hold on listeners attentions – attentions which have been held in a vice-like grip since the album began! And increasing the pace, ‘Indulgentia Plenaria’ is an up tempo romp that mixes traditional, and symphonic metal into one almighty sonic barrage, the bands trademark haunting feel blending into the background – blending but not disappearing!

And entering the fray with more pace than any other song heard so far, ‘Oblivion’ is a rougher, tougher romp of classic heavy metal with much more head bang ability too, Deathless Legacy providing every mosh pit around the world with the fabulous opportunity for some serious head banging! Yet as always, the bands ominous organ glue is ever-present to remind listeners, fans and followers of the bands root Gothic haunting nature – ‘Spiritus Sanctus Diabolicus’ chilling everyone to the bone with its overpowering, and phenomenal terror laden chant style chorus! I defy anyone not to have goosebumps right now, Deathless Legacy maintaining the albums chill factor at below zero temperatures – chillier than snow, ice, a freezer, Yakutsk city (in Siberia), the Eastern Antarctic Plateau, and my ex-wife! There’s been so many surprise twists and turns throughout the album up to this point, you’d think I could spot ’em coming by now – the band catching me out yet again by entering soft rock territory for ‘Sanctified’. Yes readers – rock! Out goes metal and in comes melodic rock, the one and only constant here Steva’s to-die-for super sexy vocals – vocals that penetrate my hardened tough-as-nails metal exterior to melt my heart and send me off into dreamland once more!

Phew what a feeling, ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ (the album) landing firmly and squarely back in the bands more familiar metal territory with a tonne of hustle and bustle courtesy of ‘Mother Of God’ – Deathless Legacy punching hard and kicking harder with a glorious mix of metal and rock! Nineties rock it has to be said, ‘Mother Of God’ displaying an alternative come progressive come Grunge nature as once again the ground shudders beneath the bands feet – ‘Nightshade’ upping the energy level to a rampant “foot on the monitor” traditional heavy metal gallop! The band are at full tilt here, pleasing every metal traditionalist on the planet with an old school metal romp that’s gonna have every head vigorously rocking back and forth! And bringing the album to a close, ‘Gehenna’ is the longest song on offer clocking in at six and a half minutes in length, Deathless Legacy pummelling listeners with everything the band have in their vast arsenal – from sinister to menacing, marching to striding, and heavy to haunting, ‘Gehenna’ has it all, along with the sassy, sultry and sexy voice of lead singer Steva to make everyone go weak at the knees!

Overall, a glorious mix of symphonic, Gothic heavy metal with a mesmerising aura, ‘Damnatio Aeterna’ is an enchanting hour of intoxication.

TRACKLIST

Damnatio Aeterna
Miserere
Get On Your Knees
Communion
Indulgentia Plenaria
Oblivion
Spiritus Sanctus Diabolicus
Sanctified
Mother Of God
Nightshade
Gehennae

https://deathlesslegacy.it/
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