A Fate Decided is the ambitious debut album of Cloud Of Souls, the solo project of Lavaborne's Chris Latta. A record that leans into doom and black metal, augmented by a clear and very distinct vision, this record explores a side of the genre I wish got more attention. The album is bombastic and has a clear passion for trad doom elements, but is executed with a sort of old school aplomb and a vicious attack that can't help but to enchant listeners as they head ever deeper down the rabbit hole of madness that has helped ot make Cloud of Souls such a distinct force.
While certain aspects of this record still feel a bit rough and read (I'm looking at you Time For Slaughter) and the takes aren't always perfectly tight, that is in some ways part of the fun of the band. There is a real 80s demo magic about this record, where the genre was still being figured out and the passion was really allowed to shine out over all else. This is a big part of what makes Cloud of Souls so compelling, it's so earnest and well executed that it's easy to look past the shortcomings. The vision is what is going to entrance people here and Cloud Of Souls' ability to conjure up vintage underground magic gives things a very different flavor to most of what's propagating in the scene these days.
Cloud Of Souls may not be reinventing the steel, but what they are doing is hearkening back to a different era in metal in a way that few of their peers would ever dare. A Fate Decided is blackened doom that is unafraid to lean into the vintage mysteries of the band and keeps listeners coming back, excited for more layers of the vision that entranced them initially. Some of my very favorite records are the ones that sound old and have a certain grandiosity - A Fate Decided pulls this off with aplomb, ensuring listeners stay in love with what has been done.
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