“Epic black metal” — created by Summoning in the mid-90s and perfected by Caladan Brood in 2013 with Echoes of Battle, this merging of dungeon synth and the more atmospheric side of black metal is a subgenre that has spawned a lot of imitators but few that reach the heights of the aforementioned acts. Enter Belore, a French duo bringing this style into the modern age with more polished and grandiose production. Eastern Tales doesn’t quite follow in the same footsteps of the pioneers, but those interested in a more symphonic and folk-inspired take on the genre will find this an enjoyable listen.

Belore play a variation of epic black metal that trades in simplistic synths for grand symphonic keyboards and a hefty dose of flutes that often provide the melodic component. The result is a sound akin to Saor, with single melodies drawn out into seven to nine-minute epics. The strongest aspect of the album is the in-house mixing job courtesy of bandleader Aleevok, fully showcasing the metal and non-metal elements of the music while remaining lush and pleasant on the ears — Eastern Tales is utterly steeped in fantastical atmosphere.

It takes a lot of time and effort to put together albums (especially here, given the epic nature of the music) so I hate that I don’t have much else positive to say about it, but there’s just something that doesn’t click. I think the primary culprit is the drum performance; this style of black metal is very much not known for stellar drumming — drum machines are historically the primary form of keeping rhythm — but programmed drums lend a specific martial quality that fits very well in fantasy settings. The simplicity of the drum performance on Eastern Tales (often limited to just cymbal hits on each beat and a snare at the start of every measure) could be a stylistic choice to pay homage to the genre progenitors, but a live drummer should be capable of so much more! Couple this with some awkward spoken word passages and underwhelming clean vocals, and the result is a listen that ultimately falls a bit flat in spite of the grand scale meant to be conveyed.

Eastern Tales doesn’t quite please these ears, but if you’re itching for a majestic journey to fantastical realms then Belore should still have you covered. Modern technology allows for a much bigger sound than what Silenius and Protector were working with in the 90s, but I think some of the charm is lost in the process; a stripped-back sound allows for a musical sense of “show-don’t-tell” with regards to the fantasy setting. It’s very admirable for an epic black metal act to step outside the initial boundaries established by Summoning, but the songwriting needs to keep up with the grandeur of the sound itself. I sincerely hope future releases live up to these expectations.

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Eastern Tales will be available April 5 via Northern Silence Productions. For more information on Belore, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.