Undying Blackened Glory

Hellmoon is a new entity forged by Plaag who is also known from Nocturnal Departure. This is his debut album as Hellmoon.

Haunting synths set in with a magnificent and mystical ambience, truly a chilling way to set off some raw black metal. A classic “ough” and howling vocals over piercing riffs and crashing cymbals drives forth a raw and melancholic black metal onslaught akin to the classic French scene. Melody is found within the cascading riffs and pounding drums, giving a perfectly sombre and catchy backdrop to the varied and reverberate vocals. Hammering on, blastbeats quickly ensue with more savage riffs that dance with upbeat melodies in a way that resembles Sargeist. It is clear from very early on that this is very traditional and memorable black metal with a fierceness in the raw murk that will certainly earn the respect of seasoned maniacs.

Sheer aggression is utilised to its full extent on this record while we see some juxtaposing emotional complexity that is rewarding to witness, showing maturity and a well-rounded approach to songwriting. Further Finnish black metal influence can be heard in some very Satanic Warmaster inspired guitar work over relentless drums. Truly a chilling and spectral sound that is unfathomably atmospheric. Tortured and visceral vocals continue to screech over the howling abyssal instrumentals to create a hypnotising conjuration of the macabre old school black metal flames, which burn with strength for Hellmoon. Everything about this release feels superbly put together and vibrantly passionate with full respect held for the old ways of black metal.

Punching in at little over 20 minutes, this is a rather short album. This actually does it a few favours as the riffs and drums change up plentifully to never stagnate, offering a concise yet expansively diverse performance. Nothing feels rushed nor overly progressive, simply hitting with banger after banger of melancholic, aggressive and blisteringly harsh Black Metal. It is rather interesting to see a raw black metal band who doesn’t follow the stylistic depravity of Black Cilice and Pa Vesh En, this being far more likened to French and Finnish black metal as I mentioned. With this being said, the reverb-drenched and otherworldly soundscapes certainly give it that impeccably raw and visceral feeling.

Not only is this a fantastic debut album, but actually something a bit different for the raw black metal scene to be absorbed by. Emotionally complex, musically furious and packed with disturbing yet mesmerising atmospherics, Hellmoon is a project that definitely deserves the underground respect they demand with this scathing debut.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com