This is a prism of unlight. A ruthless, demonic plunge into the cold arms of death, told by the blackest of scribes and channeled through an unhallowed wavelength that makes most black metal bands shiver in fear.The obsession with anything outre is not exactly a novelty in the metal scene, but occasionally it will assume a much more complex and nuanced dimension owing to musicians who insist on addressing such topics with utmost maturity and profundity. As caustic and demonic as anything released this, year The Darkness Between Stars is an unstoppable mass of swirling black carnage that is immediately haunting and intense. Numerous bands have created albums based around their own ideas that take insight from creative writing, but few bands will dedicate the entire span of an release to relevant interpretation of the belief With the emergence and escalation of the novel and notorious tendency. Spawning from the depths of Occultism, Philosophy, Chaos, Knowledge, Esoteric Literature is the newest record from Orthodox,Shadowy, death worshiping black metal Polish veterans Ars Magna Umbrae - Lunar Ascension. The album does a phenomenal job at establishing a solid atmosphere from the very first beginning. The brevity of the album adds to a sort of surreal feeling in the listener. Ars Magna Umbrae this Polish solo project married the ritualistic fury of esoteric,occult black metal with a creeping dose of mystical,ominous,sinister madness. The atmosphere and tightly plotted albums were based on mystical, occult, incantation while still employing their own take on black metal. They still continuing experimenting with unique ideas to avoid sounding too similar to many other bands in this subgenre.
On this year Poland based black metallers Ars Magna Umbrae unveiled their debut full length on this year entitled “Lunar Ascension” is riddled with seven poisonous tracks that emanate evil and spew forth malicious and diseased black metal with 35:54 min running time along with hellish,skin-ripping, bleak, shadow-cloaked, blood-freezing artistry. This new album consist with 8 tracks. Ars Magna Umbrae was formed in 2017. The music relies heavily on dissonant and disorienting melodies with a spectral cast, creating chilling atmospheres of terror and torment. They offers way more then your average black metal sound, it’s stylistic & rhythmic. Melodic and atmospheric elements are added to enhance the more brutal moments to great effect. Nightmarish visions swirl about the music both when the band is in the throes of a bestial blood frenzy and when it simply feels like the music is sailing into a haunted void or on the brink of a mental breakdown. Now I am straight going to the point about this new album .
When at first checked out their album artwork and got news that they are working in new material from then I was clinched that I have to check this whole material for sure and this would be savage beast. The darkness that lurks within this new ritual "Lunar Ascension" and riddled with seven poisonous tracks that emanate evil and spew forth malicious and diseased black metal. Ars Magna Umbrae presents new songs that are even more abysmal and blasphemous. Ars Magna Umbrae delivers distinctly experimental, atmospherically evil,vivid,horrifying form of black metal.This bands each and every musician did fantastic job on this album in radiant way and It’s really great when your high hopes are not misplaced. Ars Magna Umbrae manage to strike the right balance between raw, atavistic aggression and a more sophisticated, occult approach. This whole album reflects the grand diversity of sound brought together on this album . It is really not easy to describe their musical style . A natural synthesis of dissonant sounds and disparate styles all combined in one bold, enlightened display of unbound creativity Despite the often crushing,fast ,furious,cacophonous black metal assaults with a lots of segments of slower tempo too where Ars Magna Umbrae combines a atmospheric, mysterious, introspective passages with cavernous drum thrashes, melodic guitars and those effective rasps. The raw and obscure line is meticulously preserved while more current elements are inserted without compromising the quality and the old school line.
Their latest incantations opening track is “Through Thorns and Bones” starts with atmospheric build and eerie atmospheric vibe followed by massive, vivid black metal assaults along with an onslaught of tremulous, massive,fast paced black metal. New Opus manifesting atmospheric black metal with elements of nightly darkness and the occult. The layered tapestry of slightly trebly and heavily laden with reverb, duo-tonal whirlwind of guitar noise laced with aggression,deliberate cadence and progression seasonings supporting the likewise crooning, deeply in the throat, high-pitched , duo vocals drown a bit in the almost unhuman-like furiously fast though muffled drumming with ripping and snorting bass, although this evolves to a more dynamic sound on the rest of the album. Their whole composition and musical style is impeccable also borrow great atmosphere with sour ,dissonant riffs work . All instruments are dynamic, clearly discerned, yet none stand out amidst the cacophony and indeed they have far surpassed it. When guitar solos and leads are utilized they are done in a very modern, melodic and atmospheric fashion while the songs includes great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with the riffs also bringing a great amount of melody.
This new releases whole compositions are extremely filthy and unsettling piece of sinister,grim euphoria and unearthly ambiance . “Lunar Ascension” commences chronologically invigorating and destructive. Their distinct entity infused me by a lot . They produce atmospheric,unique kind of black metal but at the same time the vocals and other parts of the riffing is straight forward brutal,ferocious simultaneously . Honestly, after a multiple listen this album just blew me away with their ethereal abyss,multi-dimensional,the multi-layered,ominous musical style. Lunar Ascension perversely brims with an illuminating light, devouring the cosmic light of life and scurrying through the sort of black metal whose radiance is so obsidian as to consume energy as austerely as it expends it. Each musicians have exudes tremendous,cohesive effort on this EP with excellent diligence and nailed it . In this moment which is eternal yet transitory, a new and pure energy grows within the womb of chaos, and which ignites the source of a new aeon, a flame needless of air to exist. Ars Magna Umbrae really does the trick for the atmosphere is the overall murky,mysterious, Juxtapositions of darkness and light, misty sound that comes from the music. A new true god that breeds its new self, purified and sanctified in chaos without an end nor a beginning. I highly cite and embrace this release.
This is filled with a slew of cadence, apocalyptic,pummeling, ominous,hellish, powerful riffs work . As well bass line up is whopping,intense,strong ,rumbling, slithering. Drumming,percussion line up is bleak, frantic,solid,clattering and powerful . The guitars are solely focused on creating a grandiose atmosphere, but predominantly rely on walls of sound and swerving rhythms.In each track morbidly delicious,macabre,soaring,dark eerie,ghastly riffs,bass lineups matched in well manner . This whole albums sound deliver a dissonant,grim feeling,sinister,melancholic,gruesome black metal with raw emotion and pure energy . This album indulge strong songwriting and brilliant musicianship . Each track is solid and executed well gifting to you the sound of utter skin crawling darkness. Vocals decently large voice that does well for Ars Magna Umbrae. Especially his menacing and hoarse voice are excellent . Vocals howling scream,immense,deep rasps voice emerged on this album in a well manner adds a thick murky sound and intertwined perfectly with their utterly spellbinding,obtuse,bizarrely arrogant, mysterious,fully blistering black metal,distant musical style with a lots of melodic,atmospheric accompaniment and embedded perfectly .Their sound,musicianship is absolute prime, with every song unleashing a seething torrent of scalding dissonance and insidious melody, scorching distortion, and barbaric, blasphemous invective, all of which combine to produce an overarching atmosphere of creeping, crippling dread. Overall you will get sinister,gloomy,desolate,mysterious ambient from this whole album.
Each song have an energy ,fluency and draw a savage landscape .Stand out tracks are all of them .Every song, every hellish, skin-stripping riff and vile vocal incantation, is delivered with the righteous fury and unwavering conviction of the true believer. Vision of the album cover is Pretty neat,solid,atrocious,grisly, macabre, gorgeously hideous.
Overall “Lunar Ascension” whole album is Spectacular,engrossing ,significant and goes all the way through with a relentless rage from the beginning. Ars Magna Umbrae is surely the apotheosis of everything. The sound has a depth to it, that with brief distortion. Lunar Ascension is a elite black metal sophistication in their music without sacrificing the feral, ugly core of the style. This album sounds so authentic and a truly remarkable sonic journey from beginning to end . Indeed this album is such an true gem of this year . The production is absolutely impeccable,capable of handling both the massive atmospheric and gargantuan heft.Outstanding another one release of this year so far. Lunar Ascension is a deep and winding journey throughout the mysterious and stifling occult. "Lunar Ascension” is shattering culmination in black metal evolution. Ars Magna Umbrae can effectively capture a pristine essence of bloodthirsty transcendent abandon, disenchanted delirium, or perhaps even a very inhuman strain of mystical experience. The Polish bruisers still possess all the necessary skills and hard-won experience to put younger,newcomer challengers in their place With "Lunar Ascension”. Ars Magna Umbrae writes another chapter in their book of successive masterpieces. The music on this release is swamped in such rich darkness that you feel like you’re going to be swallowed whole by it. It’s atmospheric black metal that’s condensed into short tracks full of grim majesty and harrowing sonicscapes. This is astral projection through a viscous dense black cosmic ocean. If you looking for something different, epic this album will take you on a sophisticated and weighty black metal journey into another universe where music has the power to transcend the spoken word.
My Rating – 4.9/5 Review done by - Souvik Basu. Published on 6/10/2018
