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 (ish) albums that share a common theme.
For this edition of Second Circle I take a look at two melodic black metal albums that are in many ways opposing. One is medieval swords and sorcery, the other world-spanning sci-fi. One band I’ve known for awhile, the other is new to me. And one impressed me far more than the other. Let’s descend and see what Darkenhöld and Valdrin have to offer with their new releases.
—
Among the many standout acts in current melodic black metal, Darkenhöld somehow managed to avoid my radar. Big mistake! Sixth full-length Le fléau du rocher feels in many ways like the French answer to Stormkeep, proudly showcasing influences from ’90s legends such as Emperor and Dissection in varied and dynamic ways that they can truly call their own. Their “medieval” tendencies are apparent right away on opener “Codex de la Chevalerie” with its Obsequiae-adjacent harmonizing guitar melodies and an acoustic guitar break, soon giving way to furious blast beats and massive chords before ending with more lush guitar leads and clean choir vocals. As far as album art complementing the music goes, I’m not sure we’re going to see a more perfect pair in 2025; the music just oozes distant castles and adventure.
Le fléau du rocher is a great showcase of exactly what I want in melodic black metal: Far Away from the Sun-style songwriting that moves, ebbing and flowing from riff to riff, section to section, with simultaneous ease and purpose. Standout track “L’ascension du mage noir” is a perfect example of this, transitioning from old and cold big riffs and slow blasts in its opening to slower, more melancholic riffs that remind me so much of Sacramentum’s magnum opus that I’d be very surprised if the band weren’t taking direct inspiration here. The song’s organ conclusion really sells the grandiose, archaic feeling as well.
I may be referring to the same bands that every other melodic black metal act is influenced by, but in contrast with a lot of modern acts Darkenhöld use influences from Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk and Arntor as stepping stones for something that’s simultaneously fresh and nostalgic, rather than simple replication (with diminishing returns); perfect for the medieval fantasy theme going on. In addition to fantastic riff- and songwriting mastermind Aldébaran can shred a mean guitar solo, and even throws in some overtly classical influences on tracks like “La Cavalerie Fantôme.” The production on Le fléau du rocher similarly deserves high praise for the delicious crispness of the drums, the manner in which the polyphonic guitars are balanced, and the warmness with which the bass and keys enhance the rest of the sound. A fantastic discovery to help round out the first half of 2025… I’m sure you’ll hear more from me regarding Darkenhöld come AOTY season.
Le fléau du rocher is available now from Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions. For more information on Darkenhöld, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.
—
Valdrin’s 2023 full-length Throne of the Lunar Soul came across my radar right during AOTY season so I regrettably wasn’t able to give it the time it deserved (primarily due to its 73 minute runtime), but nonetheless I was extremely impressed by its proggier take on ’90s-inspired melodic black metal. Also featured on Second Circle, I heralded the band as a potential challenger to Stormkeep and Moonlight Sorcery for this subgenre throne; having had a lot more time for the album to soak in, I still stand by this statement. Safe to say I was highly anticipating new material, aided by a very recent singing to the consistently solid Avantgarde Music. This material has finally arrived in the form of an EP(?*) entitled Apex Violator.
*The promo material doesn’t state whether this is a full-length or EP; the Black Metal Promotion stream just states ‘album’, whereas Encyclopedia Metallum lists it as an EP. Given the length and my assessment of its quality, I’m siding with Metallum on this.
Clocking in at only 30 minutes the brevity issue is solved, but at great cost. The bouncy melodic riffs and soaring leads that transformed across shifting time signatures — the biggest standout elements of Lunar Soul — are almost nowhere to be found here. The progressive tendencies (5/8 and other time signatures, piano breaks, and the like) remain to some degree, but overall this release is a much more straightforward black metal affair of incessant trem-picked riffs and blast beats. There are some exceptions (namely the death metal-adjacent pinch harmonic riffs of “Black Imperial Smoke”) but the initial disappointment felt upon realizing single “Ignite the Murder Shrine” had none of the infectious melodies I so crave remains.
This is not to say that Apex Violator is bad by any means, and I’m sure a lot of black metal fans will still find a lot to like here. While not was I was hoping for from Valdrin’s next release, I can take solace in the fact that this non-melodic, darker release may just have a deeper purpose in Ausadjur Mythos that is the thematic focus of the band’s discography. This EP focuses on Nex Animus (the adversary of protagonist Valdrin Ausadjur), and the events are concurrent with those on Lunar Soul. Take a deep dive into the lyrics of these two releases, and the regression in sound may just make more sense (a dip in their knack for musical storytelling still remains). Regardless I’m eager for the next release from Valdrin, and I hope they manage to outdo Lunar Soul.
Apex Violator will be available June 20 through Avantgarde Music. For more information on Valdrin, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.
—
— Colin
Leave a Reply