And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
I discovered Vials of Wrath through Crowned in Sorrow. The frontman, Dempsey Mills, performed guest vocals on “Far Beyond Death”. I liked his raspy screams, so I decided to check out his main band. Vials of Wrath formed in North Carolina in 2011, around the time when atmospheric black metal was getting popular in America. I vaguely remember hearing the band’s name years ago, but I never paid attention to them until now. What I discovered was black metal that was atmospheric and deeply spiritual.
The band released their first full-length album Seeking Refuge in 2013. Their main influences are Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room. Sometimes the black metal is fast and aggressive, but it is frequently broken up by clean guitar sections that make you feel like you’re wandering alone through the cold wilderness. The drums offer up thunderous blast beats, churning double bass, and more straightforward mid-paced rhythms. The guitars play many aggressive tremolo riffs that sometimes slow down to make the music feel more introspective. The bass plays alongside them and gives them more depth. There are also songs like “To Walk Upon the Heights” where they’ll play clean guitars whose mood ranges from calm to mysterious.
The vocals are my favorite part. Mills performs a raspy scream that echoes through the fog. Although his performance sounds both angry and anguished, he speaks of God and the glory of His creation. “A Greater Calling” juxtaposes the smallness of humanity with the infinite and eternal glory of God.
“I am a grain of sand
Swept with tides of unknown shores
You are the ocean mighty
Full of life both great and small
I am a single fading light
In the cold night sky
You are the bright morning star
Shining bright for all to see
I am a lone drop of rain
Falling and quickly forgotten
You are the cleansing flood
Who takes away all untrue
I long to be so much more…
More of what you are
I am nothing without you
For you are the great I am”
These lyrics echo the sentiment of Acts 17:28.
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
“The Beginning of Sorrows” is about how everything in the material realm will eventually be destroyed and how the only way to eternal life is through God.
“In the passing of the eternal
What stands the test of time?
All of your possessions will burn
Everything rusts, dies, decays
All this world can offer is trivial
Meaningless unto the grave
To put away treasures here on earth
Is useless at the end of days
Can you not see the signs?
Can you not feel the pain?
This world as we know it is dying
The only escape: be born again”
Loneliness is a common problem in the modern world, but “Alone in the Wilderness” shows that if you have faith in God, then you are never truly alone.
“Night falls and I am alone
With my thoughts, my failures
The harsh reality of wood and stone
Revives my spirit again
The solitude of God's creation
Brings peace, cleanses my sins
To be alone, in the wilderness
Brings a freedom to pray
All around, branches, like hands
Offer up their praise
And with each gust of wind
They bow to the King of Grace
A fire within me burns
And grows each passing moment
I must do more with this life, this gift of being
Beneath infinite stars I ponder the eternal
And know I'm never truly alone
Father, here I am
Please forgive me
I pray you welcome me home”
Days Without Names was released two years later and sounds very similar to the first album. The main riff on “Journey Beyond the Flesh” is almost identical to that on “A Greater Calling”. Not much innovation occurred, but the performance is still strong. The drums still hit hard during the blasting sections, the guitars still possess a strong sense of melody, occasionally playing some wonderful solos like on “Revival of the Embers”, and the raspy vocals are still excellent.
The most substantial song on here is “Revival of the Embers”, which tells us that the flame of faith needs to be constantly kindled, lest one fall away from God and towards self-destruction.
“This glacial apathy
I must overcome
This fleshly desire
I am undone
This calloused heart beats now
But for how long?
To the dilemma of another
It hastens to numb
As smoldering embers weaken
A faith not fanned doth wane
Dying amongst the ashes
I must revive the flame
This earthen vessel
A dwelling place for the most high
Flawed and unworthy
Made pure by fiery trial
I offer myself once again
Yahweh M’Kaddesh
You are welcome here”
Dark Winter Memories is their latest full-length, released back in 2019. The band honed their work over the course of four years, making this their best album to date. The production is stronger, the drums have greater impact, they play more complex rhythms, the guitars sound grander, and the vocals have more force behind them. There’s also a greater amount of variety. Acoustic interludes abound, and melody and aggression are frequently juxtaposed. “A Black Bile Fog” sounds like Norwegian black metal, while the song immediately after it is much more calm.
For the most part, the lyrics have a forlorn quality, but slivers of hope can still be found. This is best shown in “The Cold and the Hope”. Even in the coldest winter nights, God light and warmth can still be felt.
“Wistful thoughts and dark memories
As I recall the dead of winter
Fleeting warmth and a most bitter cold
My mind is far from here and now
O, let me be! In this hinterland of snow
To overcome my sorrow with these black birds of woe
On my honor I shall not tarry
But must confront the ghosts which haunt me
Lest they wrench my very soul
They’re words left deep furrows
In my mind, heart, soul
I will cultivate them for my spirit’s growth
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Fading into eternity, the last she spoke
The loudest whisper, truth hard as stone
Like a December’s snow, my elders are falling
Yet have ne’er stood so strong
A celebration for the ages, a rebirth unto dust
They will always be with me
Until I am with them”
But my favorite lyrics are from “Calling upon the Ancient One”, which speaks out against the soulless nature of the modern world.
“Burn, O ancient fire
Purging all impurities
Flow, O ancient waters
Ever cleansing, baptizing
Blow, O ancient wind
Drying up all left standing
Shine, O ancient light
Illuminate this dark world
Return, O ancient of days
Deliver us with your blood
A new Babylon is rising
Wood and stone abandoned
For brick, mortar and steel
The natural ways forsaken
Impugned as we
Bend them to our will
Blue skies laden with white scars
Solemn night defiled by
A throng of false light
Tranquil sonority fallen
At the hands of men
The ever growing pall
Expanse at what perdition?
At the hands of men
At the hands of men”
God bless Vials of Wrath. Their atmospheric black metal is crafted extremely well, it’s wonderfully melodic, and it has a deep spiritual quality. Hopefully this will be a sign of future things to come. May more God-fearing men be inspired to create metal like this.