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In Aphelion is a young band made up of seasoned veterans who unleashed their blistering debut, Moribound, in 2022 on the Norwegian label Edged Circle Records. That release was well received, and perhaps as a result, they've now signed with Century Media, which recently released their sophomore album, Reaperdawn.

The band's sound bears a strong resemblance to Necrophobic, which comes as no surprise given that the two share three members, most notably the ferocious guitar duo. It's equally unsurprising that Reaperdawn is bursting with searing riffs and scorching solos, with the guitars commanding the spotlight. In Aphelion is undeniably a melodic black metal band, and you'll often find yourself humming along to their razor-sharp guitar melodies. Several tracks also incorporate a slightly thrashier edge, as heard in parts of the opener "Fields of Nadir" and "They Fell Under Blackened Skies". The album's highlight for me, though, is "The Darkening", which, after trudging ominously through an unusually mid-paced section, erupts into exquisite chaos, driven once again by violent and unpredictable riffs coming at you at full force.

Reaperdawn lacks some of the viciousness and bite of Moribound, it still follows closely in its predecessor's hoof-prints. For that reason, it's an easy album to recommend for fans of their debut, or for anyone who enjoys Necrophobic or riff-driven melodic black metal in general. This album is a lot of savage fun.