In 2021 if you are going to do black metal then this is the way to do it. You can tell it is in fact black metal, but it is not so tied down to conforming to a certain time period that it is stagnant. In fact it is full of dark new sounds that really add to the songs. It opens up with a guitar tone that sounds more like the Smiths than Darkthrone. I am not mad at this at all. It has pretty much every element I want from any metal sub-genre in terms of dynamics and sonic scope, even some clean singing that is kind of My Dying Bride.
The second song is more pagan in it's tribal drone. The doomy riff that comes in midway into things is very effective at keeping the mood darker, From a song writing perspective I would not say it is as good as the opener. By the end it gets more blasty, but with the atmospheric buzz I like."Kromlec'h Knell" is even more My Dying Bride like in the baritone croon as double bass churns under it. It is a good song, not what I expected from them. Growled vocals do come in. Things get a great deal weirder on "Mammothpolis" .by the end of the song it does have a more normal metal chug to it, but they take you on an odd journey to get there. It is almost more like a interlude as the atmosphere and the mood are the prevailing elements .
There is a melodic pulse of "Anchoress in Furs" before it floats off into a dark wonderland. I love the effects on the vocals when they come in. They are in a more sinister snarl. It is hard to pinpoint if the sung part that follows is the chorus, because they let the song unfold rather than following any kind of traditional formula. Overall this album is a real fun listen I will give this album a 9, making it a pretty hopeful out look for a typically hopeless genre.
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