A decade of personal growth worn into the grooves" 8/10 Metal Hammer (UK)

 

"Decadent, complex, utterly spellbinding" ★★★★★

Kerrang

 

"A triumphant return to form" ★★★★★

Daily Sport

 

“Wholly remarkable” ★★★★

Record Collector

 

"an intriguing voyage for those who can handle its endless twists’n’turns"

The Arts Desk

 

“Akercocke is back at its best. ‘Renaissance in Extremis’ gets back to the combo’s most progressive combinations and delivers an extreme Metal crossed with very diverse influences and a good dose of British New-wave”

ALBUM OF THE MONTH in Rock Hard (FR)

 

"In fact are all songs versatile that surprise, scare and disturb – but get to the point though…music from the heart and instinct. An absolute must have" 6/7 Metal Hammer (DE)

 

“the quintet, while gravitating to the extreme metal, draws on a wide range of sounds and influences that contribute to forging the progressive and avant-garde vein of the group" Rock Hard Magazine (IT)

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Metal Hammer (GR) album of the month, 9/10

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After a decade-long hiatus, Akercocke - a mostly
London-based quintet who led the British extreme
metal charge through most of the 2000's - return 
with the sixth album.
Disciples will already be aware of the phenomenal range
of textures that Akercocke utilise in each song: newcomers may find this new album
bewildering for the same reasons. The best way to absorb this excellent nine-song suite
is to sit back and let it wash over you, ideally several times, in order to appreciate the 
incredible nuances.
An early single, Inner Sanctum, reassured long-time fans that two key songwriting elements-chiming, gothic 
guitars and groove-heavy Death Metal riffs of considerable brutality remain at the centre of the sound.
These strangely complimentary approaches infuse "First to Leave the Funeral","Insentience" and "A Final Glance Before Departing",
but there's much more to this album than that.
"Prog" is probably the best description of the music, loaded as it is with unsettling sound effects,
amazing Steve Vai-style soloing, huge tom rolls and double kicks, and creepy horror-movie soundscapes.
Singer Jason Mendonca has at least four vocal styles, too, from an ursine bellow via a piratical snarl to an ethereal tenor- all of 
which help to make the album wholly remarkable.  

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Joel McIver - Record Collector Magazine