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Now this is pretty fucking cool. Waning take quite a modern, almost experimental/progressive style of black metal with shades of artists as diverse as Blut Aus Nord and Katatonia audibly clear in their sound. Think along the lines of acts such as Shining, Cobalt and Thorns as well, and we start talking Waning's language.

What immediately struck me about this album, and attracted me to the band in the first place was their atmosphere. Oftentimes bleak, yet thoroughly enticing, and bringing to mind nightmare images of suffocating technology, and Goliath buildings all washed in pallid grey and frighteningly lucid. The music on The Human Condition meticulously weaves this atmosphere, and a quality, almost mechanical production fills the room slowly until bleeding the walls. Those who believe black metal begins and ends at the second wave would do well to ignore this one.

The Human Condition is packed with brilliant riffs, intricate performances and dynamic vocals. Tracks such as "To the Smouldering Next" or the unsettling dirge of the title track really show what Waning are capable of and I believe these guys are going to be a band to watch over the next few years. The band create some truly devastating moments throughout this record, and fans of mature, forward-thinking black metal are going to want to grab a copy as soon as possible.