This duo from the Netherlands is very interesting in their approach to atmospheric black metal. It has little in common with Deafheaven. Myrkur might be a better comparison at time with the female vocals are layered around the otherwise epic pounding that is burlier than anything the black gaze bands would do though they do weave in some cool melodic ambiance in the midst of their charge ahead. The second song kind of runs out of the first. To the point that I did not realize it was a different song. Though there is more of a straight up almost rock drum beat running through the song. It is also more melodic than the storm unleashed on the first song.
"Dusk" is somewhere between post-rock and shoe gaze when the low growled vocals come in. When the sung female vocals come in the song takes off. The use of the vocals to bring the transition works well. It takes about halfway into the song before it shifts to more of a black metal sound. "Cataclysm". Is more straightforward it feels like it falls somewhere between death metal and black metal. The atmosphere here is just more of a texture and the aggression of metal is given most of the focus. There is a darker more melodic riff that comes in midway into the song. "Of Those Stricken by Fate". Is a spectral take on neo- folk. It feels more like an interlude given the breadth of metal already covered.
The last song has that triumphant galloping into victory feeling that any black metal band from Europe who gets branded with a folk or pagan label seems to find themselves in at some point with Moonsorrow being the most noted culprit in this regard. There is a great deal of blasting here, which finds them sounding more like everyone else in this regard. They do redeem this with a more black gaze style riff that is more interesting as it rides the groove. I will give this album a 9, it goes the extra mile in enough ways to make this an album I can leave on and let play.Drops Apirl 22nd on Babylon Doom Cult.
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