• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Well, I reviewed this band's 2011 self-titled album not too long ago after discovering it by accident, and here we have the follow-up, the just-released second effort from this one-man UK act. I thought their last one was highly reminiscent of classic Immortal, but this one shows the work stretching out into more expansive songwriting territory.

Sole band member Vorh still sounds a lot like Abbath in the vocal department, but this album finds a much more Bathory type of vibe, as if you crossed At the Heart of Winter with Hammerheart. All in all, this is a much more complex and adventurous album than the debut, with bigger songs, deeper arrangements, and a fiercer dedication to building an individual sound. It would be easy, in a band like this, to become imitative as a way of borrowing cred from revered bands, but at every turn Vorh pushes out into new ground, refusing to be trapped in Black Metal songwriting clichés. This is heavy, involving, epic BM with fucktons of atmosphere and real weight to it. An outstanding work signaling the arrival of a real talent.