Three years after the promising debut, Roman Saenko’s Blood Of Kingu returns, and the project’s second album is worthy of your ears. On the surface, things seem the same – intro Herald Of The Aeon Of Darkness uses exactly the same eerie percussion – but the moment that first song proper Those That Wander Amidst The Stars roars in, you realise that the band are channelling something dark indeed. I previously complained about De Occulta Philosophia’s overbearing similarity to Saenko’s past projects; he must have been listening, as Sun In The House Of The Scorpion is a definite step forwards. Hell, even the artwork is impressive! Musically embracing the raw power that Hate Forest did so well, this is an angry beast indeed, less melodic but more intense than before with powerfully layered atmospheric effects, and with the same ethnic tinting (Yuriy Sinitsky’s drumming verges on tribal at times) that is reminiscent of some ancient civilisation reawakening to conquer the earth.

Everything that seemed questionable on the last album is perfectly arranged here. The clattering opening to Cylopean Temples Of The Old Ones soon slides into a Drudkh-y riff that fades into the background under the sheer weight of those growled vocals, about as physical and intense as Black Metal throats get. I loved the epic ten-minute Incantation Of He Who Sleeps, which almost slips into doom territory, like a more occult Negura Bunget, the band’s usual rumble channelled into atmospheric territory as weird background effects challenge the upfront catchy riffing for supremacy. The droning chants often audible behind the riffs are an excellent touch, giving it all an otherworldly feel and rewarding multiple listens as tracks seems to change subtly each time you hear them.

Without a doubt, Blood Of Kingu will appeal to those who miss Hate Forest, yet whilst the older band was the mysterious voice of nature, here we have something more esoteric. Although the production is murky and organic, there’s a slippery ambience which takes over when you allow the music to wash over you that makes it even more effective, overcoming the slightly repetitive feel of the album. Were it carried on for too long, this could have been a more serious problem, but the band anticipate this by closing the main part of the release off with Morbid Black Dreams Bringing Madness, a two-minute outro bit of ambience, and sticking a bonus cover of Beherit’s Gate Of Nanna on the end. This was a great choice, the band putting their own spin on the classic with creepy chanting and whispered vocals over a Doomy crawling riff that soon launching into speedy brutality. I get the sense that Blood Of Kingu are holding back somewhat, only showing part of what they can do – as good as this is, given another three years they may just produce a jaw-dropping masterpiece. Sun In The House Of The Scorpion, meanwhile, is proof that Roman Saenko’s talents are aging well.