Outlands

Celtefog is the creative vehicle of Archon who is a multi-talent responsible for some of the finest moments of dark and captivating music. “Outlands” is full length number three following up on “Deliverance” from 2014 and “Sounds of the Olden Days” from 2016. The quality of the music should not come as surprise as Archon has been born in Greece which is a place known for fantastic metal.

The typical tremolo picks and the pummeling blasts can be found here as well and build the basis of Celtefog’s music. While each black metal band puts a lot of emphasis on building a sinister atmosphere Archon has gone even a bit further compared to his peers. I am not sure if “Outlands” should be labelled as pure atmospheric black metal as the main focus is still on the riffs and the relentless drum attacks but there are a lot of desperate and haunting harmonies dwelling in the background. Eerie and sometimes dreamy themes presented by the lead guitar are always present – sometimes more subtle and in other places as leading elements defining certain parts of the song.

The greatest aspect of the album is how the harmonies of the lead guitars have been woven into the whole picture and how they work as contrast to the aggressive attacks of the main chords. Archon has a fantastic talent for creating haunting and beautiful melodies that feel melancholic and depressive but also offer a glimmer of hope at the same time. He has worked with the interaction of musky moments and lighter pieces and has melted all those elements into one great piece of sinister art. The ambient soundscapes dwelling in the dark and some acoustic pieces build a fantastic and gloomy atmosphere.

The drumming is precise following the main patterns of each song and highlighting several sections where an extra portion of intensity is needed. Most of the time it is kept pretty laid-back underlining the quite stoic and atmospheric nature of the music. A gloomy atmosphere is something that is very important for this record and thankfully it has been taken care that things never get too hectic or chaotic to destroy the mood. Although the instrumental skills of Archon are obvious most emphasis has been put on stringent and clearly structured songwriting.

Rounded off by howling vocals and a great production job I can only recommend Celtefog to any fan of atmospheric and captivating black metal. I surely will go on and check out the older work by Archon as well.