I live less than 40 km from Liège, Belgium, and yet Räum had never appeared on my radar before. Räum was formed in 2020 and already released their debut album, Cursed by the Crown, in 2023. That crown is still firmly in place, as evidenced by Emperor of the Sun.
A seven-track opus, released in a stunning cover by the French label with the beautiful name Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions, available on CD as well as LP (black and marble).
With a highly convincing production and complex songwriting, Räum grabs you by the throat from the very first minute of this new album and, aside from a few calmer passages, doesn’t let go for the next 44 minutes. The intense tempos, walls of guitars, and aggressive pace of the songs, combined with the extremely fierce vocals of singer Oliver Jacqmin, leave a lasting impression.
Alongside all that intensity, Emperor of the Sun also delivers a great deal of atmosphere, making it not only dynamic but also a highly atmospheric album. The combination of the music’s intensity and this atmosphere makes for a truly remarkable experience.
With Emperor of the Sun, Räum delivers a highly convincing performance and can certainly be counted among the better bands from Belgium. I hope to catch them live sometime soon, as I’m very curious to see how they perform on stage.
90/100
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