Wrathful Plague’s Thee Within the Shadows is the kind of black metal record that doesn’t scream for attention — it creeps in, cloaked in fog, dagger in hand, ready to plunge you into bleak, melodic despair. Hailing from the U.S. underground and released in 2013 via Metallic Media, this is mid-tempo black metal with an ear for dark melody, grim atmosphere, and a pagan pulse that echoes like distant war drums.

The sound here is rooted in classic black metal — lots of icy tremolo riffs, buried screams, and synth work that adds a mournful, dungeon-dwelling vibe without going full symphonic. There’s a constant feeling of being stalked through ancient ruins — majestic, but never overproduced. It’s raw, but not primitive — composed, but never polished.

The songs are lengthy and immersive, shifting between cold aggression and epic sorrow. Tracks like “Death Hymn”, “Within the Shadows”, and “Ancient Warwinds” paint pictures of cursed battlegrounds and forgotten sorceries. The pacing is intentional — it gives room for the melodies to breathe, and for the cold atmosphere to seep into your bones. You don’t just listen to this album — you sink into it.

This CD edition (METALLIC 013) comes housed in a jewel case, released by Metallic Media — a label known for supporting raw and atmospheric underground black metal. If you dig bands like Gris, Nazgul, Drudkh, or even the colder moments of Summoning, you’ll find something dark and satisfying in this plague.