In an era that is designed to beat down and weaken the individual, ‘Black Flame Eternal’ is an album that represents strength, empowerment, and total opposition. With mounting pressure to engage in modern societal tribalism, Cloak invokes a spiritual rebellion that exists beyond good and evil with album number three.

While Cloak might rage against societal conventions, the Atlanta quartet embraces the rebellious and time-tested traditions of heavy metal. Whether it be the conjuring the chaotic spirit of Swedish black metal purveyors Watain and Dissection, summoning the deep, dark, and sensual groove of Danzig, or evoking the raw speed and raucous energy of Motörhead, the influence of metal’s founding fathers is deep within Cloak’s DNA. Cloak’s charm, however, does not merely lie within its romanticism of the past, but rather is the way each of these genres has shaped Cloak’s own personal identity. And with ‘Black Flame Eternal,’ Cloak continues to strengthen its own unique established sound.

RIYLs: Watain, Dissection, Behemoth, Rotting Christ