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Bow Accordingly, The Eternal Tyrant Has Arrived: Burned in Effigy - Tyrannus Aeternum (Eternal Tyrant) (Album Review) Released: 10/31/25

 

Chicago's own Burned in Effigy have been building toward something monumental, and with Tyrannus Aeternum, they've delivered exactly that: a sophomore record that doesn't just meet the sky-high expectations set by their acclaimed 2022 debut Rex Mortem, but shatters them entirely. For the uninitiated, Burned in Effigy is not your average melodic death metal group. The band occupies a rarified space where classical composition meets the ferocity of extreme metal, a sound they've dubbed "neoclassical melodic death metal," and one they wear with total conviction. Vocalist Mark Smedbron is a force unto himself, wielding his voice like a weapon forged equally for brutality and melody. Guitarists Mike Hisson and Steve Bacakos are nothing short of virtuosic, weaving intricate, harmonically rich riffs and lead work that owes as much to a conservatory education as it does to the underground. Founding members Matt Watkins on bass and Eddie Dec on drums anchor the chaos with precision and power, providing a rhythmic foundation that is both technically demanding and relentlessly driving.

Tyrannus Aeternum, meaning "Eternal Tyrant," is a fitting title for an album that commands authority from the first note to the last. The record is expansive in scope, its architecture clearly influenced by the neoclassical tradition: dramatic dynamics, sweeping melodic arcs, and a sense of grandiosity that elevates the material well beyond the genre's typical fare. Yet none of this grandeur comes at the cost of aggression. When this band wants to pummel, they pummel, and they do so with the kind of controlled, calculated intensity that only comes from years of refining a craft. Fans of The Black Dahlia Murder will find much to love in the band's melodic sensibility and vocal interplay, while devotees of Inferi will appreciate the technical depth and sheer compositional ambition on display. But Burned in Effigy is very much their own entity, a band that has clearly taken time to find its sound rather than settle for imitation.

The journey to this album has been earned. After Rex Mortem turned heads at leading heavy music publications and landed the band on stages alongside icons like Orbit Culture, Obscura, and Revocation, Burned in Effigy could have rushed a follow-up to capitalize on the momentum. Instead, they went back to work painstakingly refining, perfecting, and ultimately delivering a record that feels like a statement of purpose. This is a band that knows exactly who they are and exactly where they're headed.
Tyrannus Aeternum is mandatory listening for any fan of modern melodic death metal. With talent scouts already taking notice and the band setting their sights on a full U.S. campaign and eventually the world, this feels less like an album release and more like the opening salvo of a conquest.


Go check out their track Crown Crusher, because the eternal tyrant has arrived, and you must bow accordingly:

Go give them a follow on Instagram: Burned In Effigy
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