Mesarthim - .- -... ... . -. -.-. .

Artist: Mesarthim
Release Title: .- -... ... . -. -.-. .
Year: 2016
Label: Avant Garde Music
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. .----
2. ..---
3. ...--
4. ....-
5. .....
6. -....

Adding to their impressive catalog, Australian atmospheric black metallers Mesarthim have gained immeasurably during the year as there’s plenty of advanced work to be found on their releases as they continue to explore the celestial bounds of the cosmos. Being the duo’s third overall release of work in the calendar year, their second full-length overall was originally self-released August 28, 2016 before a reissue October 25, 2016 on Avantgarde Music.


The main element that’s featured here is the fact that, this one manages to continue on the bands’ tradition of incorporating plenty of strong cosmic stylings into their attack. Once again built around the swirling tremolo riffing that’s synonymous with this particular style, replete with simplistic patterns and overly bombastic drumming that pounds away plenty of power for the style which really strongly keeps this one rooted in the atmospheric black metal realm. When this one introduces the celestial vibes here in the stark, sprawling rhythms and sonically-induced keyboards, there’s plenty of fine work to be had here with this one really generating the kind of atmospheric arrangements that perfectly accompany deep space such as this one attempts which is quite nicely integrated throughout the whole album and never really lets up. That does come back to bite this one slightly, though, in that the album does come off as so one-dimensional with it’s simplistic riff-work and celestial rhythms that it’s almost too predictable and doesn’t really offer the kind of surprises in the overall patterns to readily surprise much throughout this. Still, this is of such insignificance that there’s much more to like overall here with this attack that it does overcome many of the problems usually associated with this style.


While it’s not all that impressive in terms of variances or a dynamic attack, there’s much more to like here in terms of the bands’ well-worn celestial influences and their power at generating it that it manages to overcome this factor well enough to be readily appropriate for fans of their previous work or celestial black metal in general.

Score: 85/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://mesarthim.bandcamp.com/album/-

Selvans - Lupercalia

Artist: Selvans
Release Title: Lupercalia
Year: 2015
Label: Avantgarde Music
Genre: Atmospheric Black/Folk Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Matavitatau
2. Versipellis
3. O Clitumne!
4. Hirpi Sorani
5. Scurtchìn
6. N.A.F.H.

The debut full-length from Italian atmospheric black/folk metallers Selvans continues on the band’s recent string of utterly impressive and dynamic work in that particular genre. Released October 19, 2015 from Avantgarde Music, this follows up quickly from their EP earlier in the year with over an hour of finely-crafted and vicious keyboard-led symphonic black metal with many elements of traditional Italian folk.

This here is a wholly impressive and dynamic offering of atmospheric black metal that retains a lot of those particular trappings quite well. Centered around furious, swirling tremolo riffing and a truly relentless and violent drumming style, the main mix here is the dynamic and truly charging traditional black metal at play here which is all nicely overlaid with the absolutely vicious folk work on display. Ranging from traditional Italian folk instruments in flutes and pipes as well as nicely accented keyboard lines that can at times produce a more symphonic approach only through the grandiosity of the compositions despite still clearly playing folk patterns and arrangements, the whole approach of vicious, intense black metal is a considerable achievement that flows throughout the tracks here. This naturalistic approach, coupled with the majestic tremolo riff-work swirling around the material into extravagant epics of both melodic splendour and raging fury that is actually wholly impressive considering not only is this a debut offering but it manages to make this particular shifts in style sound organic as well as a natural part of the band’s sound which scores so well here. If the album could be faulted for anything it’s the utterly unnecessary and overlong epics that keep popping up in this one which really goes on for way too long at parts with it repeating sections or riffing wholesale simply to create the epic feel rather than just do it naturally the way the rest of the music does here and these can feel like it’s dragging in spots. Overall, though, this here is a very enjoyable release.

While it does get a little down at times here with the vastly overlong approach and could probably do with some tightening here and there, this is on the whole a very impressive debut effort that should be immediately looked into for anyone with any passing interest in symphonic or folk-inspired black metal, though those looking for more traditional share might also find something of interest here.

Score: 93/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/lupercalia

Astral Path - An Oath to the Void

Artist: Astral Path
Release Title: An Oath to the Void
Year: 2016
Label: Avantgarde Music
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Maroon Sea
2. An Oath to the Void
3. Between Appalachia and the Shield
4. A Virulent Delusion
5. To Vega... Nebulous Anatomy

The debut album from Canadian atmospheric black metallers Astral Path offers a decent enough spin on this particular style in the genre as they go about launching their career. This here is based around traditional tremolo riff-work with plenty of swirling melodic keyboards weaving along throughout the tracks which adds a fantastic atmosphere here with the ability of the tracks leads to a celestial ambiance that coincides with the riffing arrangements. This is highly pleasing and engaging which makes for a great time here as the central basis for their work is nicely fused with the fiery traditional tremolo riff-work alongside the rather engrossing atmospheric melodies added together. There’s a rather big stumbling block here with this effort in that the album’s rather simplistic nature doesn’t really offer up a strong sense of variation within here as the album can run through tracks that can tend to feel as though it’s one-note. That’s mostly apparent in the one rather bland track that doesn’t go anywhere because all it does is just run through the same rhythms and melodies for the entirety of the track without doing anything new or varied with it, and it’s quite apparent in the album as a whole elsewhere even with that being the greatest singular example. As well, there’s the short running time as there’s only five tracks which can be quite a shock with the sudden ending, but otherwise there’s a lot to like here.

The tracks here aren’t really that bad and play well within the genre. Opener ‘Maroon Sea’ takes an extended synth-driven celestial riff that turns into driving swirling tremolo riff-work and frenetic drumming charging along the melodic rhythms running along throughout the steady pace as the swirling atmosphere driven throughout the final half makes for a strong opening impression. The Void title track takes simple swirling riff-work and plodding, simplistic drumming as the atmospheric riffing and celestial melodies weave throughout the series of droning rhythms carrying out throughout the extended patterns as the crashing riffing continues into the extended droning finale for a strong if somewhat repetitive effort. ‘Between Appalachia and the Shield’ uses the faded celestial synths crashes into a rather simplistic series of plodding melodic tremolo riffing as the simplistic melodies and steady rhythms carry on throughout the mid-paced riff-work leading into the light ambient celestial-inspired final half for a long, drawn-out and mostly dull offering. ‘A Virulent Delusion’ features immediate blasting drumming and ferocious tremolo riff-work running along through a frantic pace with the buzzing celestial melodies driving into the slow-down section with the light riffing and steady rhythms holding on throughout the final half for a rather enjoyable effort. Finally, album-closer ‘To Vega... Nebulous Anatomy’ uses an extended crackling fade-in intro that gives way to searing tremolo riff-work and frantic drumming whipping through a series of driving paces as the swirling melodic riffing turns into an extended section of atmospheric rhythms and light melodies before firing back into the frantic energy for the finale for yet another solid effort that ends this on a fine lasting impression.

Though the length is the clear-cut issue here, this is still a solid enough representation of the genre that does what the style provides without much change-up and makes for a solid if non-essential listen for aficionados of the style while those looking for more traditional style should heed caution.

Score: 75/100

Does it sound good to you? Order it from here:
http://astralpath.bandcamp.com/