In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new albums that share a common theme.
Last September I wrote up a Second Circle on Bloody Valkyria and Eldamar, a pair of Northern Silence bands who released their debut and second wind albums (respectively) on the same day and subverted my expectations on what I wrongly assumed would be standard epic black metal fare. Just seven months later the follow-up releases from both bands once again share a release date, so naturally I’m obligated to check them out. Let’s descend and see what these solo act labelmates have in store.
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Bloody Valkyria’s debut Kingdom in Fire hit my ears with all the force of a battering ram last year, a melodic black metal powerhouse that more often than not felt like a power metal album with a thin veneer of corpsepaint brushed on top; it even made it onto the bottom spot of my 2024 AOTY list, so needless to say I was excited for a sophomore album (especially so soon). In Our Kingdom, Across the Fog trades in the thematic setting of The Silmarillion for Elden Ring, so that might be worth the price of admission alone if you’ve actually played the game instead of letting it collect dust in your Steam library like me; a bigger, more epic and grandiose sound similarly replaces some of the rawness of the debut, but at the expense of some of the energy that was presented on that album.
Whereas the debut had bombastic power metal riffing and shredding guitar solos on a bed of epic black metal, Across the Fog presents slower tempos and a more symphonic sound that is much closer to modern standard bearers of the genre such as Belore or Sojourner. The songs are on average shorter, trading in the 12 to 14 minute epics of Kingdom in favor of seven to eight minute tracks; “May Chaos Take the World” is a clear standout, no accident considering it’s the longest track. Along with “Tale of House Hoslow” — a melodic shredfest in its second half — this song builds upon Bloody Valkyria’s previously established strengths with the beefed up production quality on this album. The pieces are all in place for a release that should surpass the debut, but I feel like the absence of “show, don’t tell” execution in the epicness of the sound simply leaves a bit too much wanting to my ears. Additionally, the choice to place all three interlude songs within a four-track stretch kills a bit of the story flow that was nailed perfectly on Kingdom; at least the grand melodies of closer “Age of the Stars” manage to reclaim some lost luster. While not exactly what I had hoped for from the Finnish solo act, In Our Home, Across the Fog is still worth a listen for any fan of epic black metal; I hope to see some of the earlier spark return in the future.
In Our Home, Across the Fog will be available April 4 through Northern Silence Productions. For more information on Bloody Valkyria, check out their Facebook page.
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Astral Journeys Pt. I : Creation was my introduction to Eldamar, a very pleasant piece of ambient metal that was a far cry from the atmospheric black metal tag it was given; a rock opera of sorts that took the listener through a variety of soundscapes and emotions, the lyricless vocals giving the listener the choice of ascribing their meaning — and how can you go wrong with Mariusz Lewandowski (RIP) cover art? Astral Journeys Pt. II : Dissolution presents the closing two acts of this four-part story in an even more ambient fashion as the lush keys of opener “Akt III; I Must Be Dead…” demonstrate. In its heavier moments Dissolution continues the trend of rough, crushing chords alongside mellotron-like keys, piano, and strings; even these moments end up into ambient, noise-like territory as in the outro of “Akt III; to Be True”.
The highlight of this album — and perhaps the entire dulogy of Astral Journeys — is the near 17 minute epic “Akt IV; as I Pass Through the Veil,…” that wraps up the project with a multitude of sonic techniques; multilayered blackgaze-style guitars, harmonizing synth/guitar leads, a synthesizer solo, and grand horns that top off the most bombastic track these albums have offered thus far. It’s unlikely that Eldamar will receive any great attention with the conclusion of Astral Journeys, but the passion that’s been put into this project has never been on brighter display; if you need some feel-good metal for rough times — or even just heavy background music — Dissolution and its predecessor might just be what you didn’t know you needed.
Astral Journeys Pt. II : Dissolution will also be available April 4 through Northern Silence Productions. For more information on Eldamar, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.
— Colin
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