Inflamed Sword: Nox Fletus, Mane Gaudii | Smells Like Extreme Spirit
(2026 – Independent)
Within the spectrum of Black Metal, the strand corresponding to the melodic or atmospheric style (as it is sometimes referred to or labeled) must be one of the most extravagant things one can find, and even flexible in its relationship with other musical genres—though, in and of itself, the dark and mysterious nature of the genre leads us to end up in a sort of inevitable drift toward the extreme.
Inflamed Sword is one of those projects that follows this path. It always maintains the extreme and dark—musically speaking—as its fundamental premise, yet possesses enough flexibility to incorporate various elements from other musical genres, while also offering something different from what we’re already accustomed to.
I can’t say if that would be “evolution” or something like that, but in the case of “Nox Fletus, Mane Gaudii”, we’ll find something that, on the one hand, largely defies the generic nature of Black Metal, and on the other hand, contains certain elements that precisely place it at the most extreme end of Metal.
“Nox Fletus, Mane Gaudii” feels like a collection of old Christian hymns—or at least gives that impression. An ecclesiastical atmosphere greets us in every track on the album, but it’s reimagined with the fast, lethal, and furious sound of Black Metal. Stylized within a classical framework in its compositional approach, the result is an album well worth a listen.
As is often the case, this black metal project consists of a single member: Eqtum Evangelos, who handles vocals, lyrics, and composition, accompanied by Rodrigo Chenta, who plays all the other instruments.
“Before The Face Of The Most High” serves as the album’s introduction. It is essentially a prayer set against a contemplative orchestral backdrop, which sets the mood that Inflamed Sword presents on this album.
That mood seems to be interrupted by the speed and fury unleashed by the riffs of “Inflamed Sword”, a self-referential track that oscillates between the ferocity of Black Metal and a clear classical influence in its composition and arrangements, and the guttural vocals of Eqtum Evangelos, which we might well describe as unique, since they truly possess nuances never heard before—at least not by this writer.
With “A Vision Of The Son Of Man”, things seem to return to the atmospheric fold, but what Inflamed Sword offers us is a track—which, in our opinion, might just be the best on the album—featuring interesting chords and riffs that ebb and flow at a moderate pace with an intriguing imagination, and, in turn, Eqtum Evangelos’s vocals—which, while not reaching the classic heights typical of the genre, add something unique to the sound.
In contrast, “As I Kneel, O God, Before Thee” definitely sounds like a church hymn, with that ecclesiastical keyboard that evokes an ancient chapel, before leading us into the track that gives this album its title: “Nox Fletus, Mane Gaudii”, which is ultimately an intriguing instrumental that unfolds slowly but surely, featuring an eclectic riff that carries a gentle, orchestral rhythm, along with a guitar solo that somehow defies the genre’s conventions, using a combination of sounds that draws you deeper into the atmosphere it creates.
“By The Wrath Of Christ” offers something more progressive/classical within the extreme genre of Black Metal, playing with riffs of varied conception in a track that approaches an epic tone, with distinct parts that blend seamlessly together, Continuing our analysis of the album, we come across another well-defined track in Inflamed Sword’s repertoire, titled “Crushing The Blasphemer”, which, with its speed and rapid strumming, brings a somewhat orchestral or classical feel to the extreme sound—and even hints at certain elements of classic Metal.
Toward the end, we come across “Into Your Hands”, a sort of slightly cinematic interlude, featuring a voice delivering a proclamation with a specific message of encouragement. In principle, this marks the end of the album, but not quite, since this physical release includes a bonus track: “Tormenting The Impurities”, a song that strays slightly from the style Inflamed Sword presents on the album and is characterized by a crisp, direct riff with a slow yet steady rhythm.
Inflamed Sword’s debut album stands out for its concept and creativity, straying somewhat from what the genre is supposed to entail. The vocals are one of the most striking elements, since, as I mentioned earlier, they’re something entirely different. Of course, it’s a matter of personal taste, but there’s no denying that we’re talking about a different tone than what we’re used to.
The fusion of extreme and Black Metal with other styles isn’t unique to Inflamed Sword, but the way they blend elements of classic, progressive, and ambient Metal into a single album—under a more or less conceptual framework—certainly results in an interesting debut album for this project.
The sound isn’t perhaps the standout feature of “Nox Fletus, Mane Gaudii”; this may be due to the modest, self-managed resources used to record this album, which, incidentally, was recorded in different studios, and the mixing and mastering were also handled by Rodrigo Chenta himself, a member of Inflamed Sword.
One noteworthy detail is that this same album has a fully instrumental version, which is available in digital format.
We really liked the cover art—it even reminded us of the covers of old extreme Metal albums from the ’90s—and the interior design of the physical edition is solid, with adequate quality, song lyrics, and other details. In that sense, it’s a very good release.
If there’s one thing Inflamed Sword proves with “Nox Fletus, Mane Gaudii”, it’s that they have creativity and sound to spare. This is just a first step, and while there may be a few things that don’t quite come together, the truth is that, in a way, the project’s vitality seems to be in very good shape. It’s just a matter of waiting to see where their next release will take them.
Here’s one of the tracks from this album: “Crushing The Blasphemer.” We’ve also included information on how to get the physical copy of the album, as well as Inflamed Sword’s social media accounts, so you can follow them and stay up to date on their latest news…
https://www.extremerecords.com.br/produtos/inflamed-sword-nox-fletus-mane-gaudii-1vxyp
https://www.instagram.com/inflamedsword
