• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

From Romania, a sublime musical effort is gifted to the world. Măiestrit is complete black metal mastery, as dynamic as it is reflective, plumbing the potential for artistry in the deepest depths of metal as we so far know it in the 21st century. Herein lies a knowledge of beauty only hinted at in certain moments of life, barely acknowledged or recognized in the grand scheme of human perception. A man could acquaint himself with reality never learning of the great wonders of the world and universe in which he resides and still experience something of that curiously structured cosmic immensity by listening attentively to this exercise in powerful, aesthetically profound emotion, conveyed miraculously through instruments of human design and order.

These guitar melodies sound ancient, pure and majestic, rugged royal shards of Northern ice, companion to the lumbering but sometimes surprisingly limber rhythmic component. This cold maelstrom of heavy, active bass opposing winter-burned lead guitar melodies and haunting, restrained keys comes across as the musical interpretation of the central nature of a blizzard, violent, the kind which I'm sure claimed Windir's Valfar. If Windir's take on enchantingly nostalgic melodic black metal was given more room to breathe organically, less impetus to sound catchy, and a better sense of songwriting maturity, they might have sounded something like Negură Bunget in 2010. Respect to Windir where due, but these Romanians represent the near-peak of authentically melodic black metal. Maiestrit is at times characterized by ferocious speed and intent, recalling glorious battles determined by the swiftness and sharpness of a thousand spears; other times it recalls a more peaceful aeon, enshrouded still in the haze of history and the mystery of humanity.

Highly creative and inspired folk-tinged progressive black metal that retains the subtle melodic ruminations of the genre at its most atmospheric and a-commercial. Negur? Bunget's target audience is one, the soul, and two, the intellect.