Review Servant – Lux Ex Inferis

SERVANT from Lower Saxony are among the bands that have managed to make a name for themselves in a relatively short time. In the age of Spotify and higher-faster-further, that is no longer something you can take for granted. As if that were only natural, the group has put out three albums since their formation in 2021 and now, just two years after the excellent „Death Devil Magick“, they present their new album „Lux Ex Inferis“.

Roughly translated, the album title means „Light from the underworld“, which on the one hand accentuates the darkness of what one imagines as the underworld, and on the other brings light into play as a contrast to this darkness. In fact, the name of the new SERVANT album is indeed programmatic. The opener is „In Noctem“, and from the very first notes you can sense that things are different here compared to its predecessor. Ominous keyboard lines open the track, which over the course of its runtime builds into a slow and atmospheric intro with dragging guitars and sparse drums.

„Tabula Rasa“ then not only brings in the first feature, here with P.G. from GROZA on vocals, but also makes it impressively clear what SERVANT 2026 are about: more melody. After the slow start, the track noticeably picks up, and the expansive yet consistently transparent guitars could just as well have appeared on any (good) post-black metal album. At the same time, the band sounds even more dogged than on „Death Devil Magick“. A song like „Thanatos, Embrace Of The Night“ deepens this impression even further. The fact that SERVANT can also be „tight“ is nothing new, and the straightforward character of this track serves as a nice mirror to „Devil“ from 2024. The big difference: although it mostly stays in the background, the keyboards with SERVANT 2026 at times even become an atmospheric driving force and provide a wonderful contrast to the rage that later erupts in the song.

The additional melodies and harmonies, however, do absolutely nothing to change the fact that SERVANT are still playing pure melodic black metal. This is brought out very strongly, for example, by „De Profundis“, where the atmosphere of today combines with the darkness of the past to form something new. The snarling guest vocals by Lethian (NORNIR) fit into the picture incredibly well.

Overall, it is remarkable how much more complex and at the same time more agile SERVANT operate on „Lux Ex Inferis“. „Stones, Sleep And Death“, for instance, introduces a fine sense of tragedy through its guitar arrangements and sets occasional breathing spaces alongside breakneck rage, while the final section charges ahead in a dark way without sacrificing any depth or the recently newly established epic quality. From Apophis‘ rapid drums via the muscular guitar runs and vocals of Farago and Samuel to Thanatos‘ full-bodied bass – SERVANT have never sounded this coherent.

As for the conclusion, we can keep it brief here. „Death Devil Magick“ defined them: the subtle melodies amid all the conventional darkness. „Lux Ex Inferis“ goes one, if not the decisive, step further. SERVANT now trust fully in their instinct for big melodies without losing any bite in the process. On the contrary: it is precisely these pillars – frenzy and rage, shot through with a certain beauty – that make this fourth album by the band their strongest to date.

Publiziert am 2. Oktober 2026 von Philipp Sorger