Luna Aeterna

Nýr Gata is one of the projects run by Sarghas, the guy behind the label Nahetal Klangschmiede. Together with his partner in crime Nordmann he has been responsible for some quality outputs over the past few years. The debut full length of Nýr Gata titled “Seraphim” has so far been my favorite so I was euphoric when I heard about a successor being right around the corner. “Luna Aeterna” is another monolith of black/death metal goodness. Clocking in at 41 minutes and offering seven hymns of darkness (plus one interlude) this album is – although not that easy to digest – probably among the most interesting ones 2021 has to offer within this sub-genre.

Wasting no time Sarghas and Nordmann are storming right out of the gates with the first set of monstrous riffs of opener “Himmels Fall”. After 30 seconds a stunning lead harmony joins the chunky main chords, lifting the song into more epic territories. This combination of heaviness and really captivating melodies has been one of the main assets on their first album as well so I am glad to report that Nýr Gata prove that they are still able to churn out that kind of fascinating pieces. The record we are talking about is melodically rich while being technically sound in execution. It comes with a titanic wall of riffs that showcases the band’s penchant for catchiness without sacrificing an oddly accessible approach to sometimes slightly more technical songwriting. Nýr Gata deliver a ferocious yet measured piece of darkness that captures the excellent qualities of the genre.

One aspect I noticed is that Nýr Gata have shifted their sound a bit more into the (melodic) death metal corner and also enhanced their style by a few more modern patterns and chugging grooves. While at first I was not totally sure if this was a good idea a few more listens convinced me that this album is on par with the previous one - despite offering a slightly different overall tone. The end result comes with a heavy focus on ferocious riffs, interesting although sometimes slightly unorthodox chord progressions and disturbing harmonies, all designed to grab you and don’t let go before the album has finished. The atmosphere created by the lead melodies is outstanding. The guitar playing is especially impressive here. Whether going for atmosphere, a certain emotion, blistering assault, or just plain strangeness, the guitars help shape the music’s feel and impact even more than you would normally expect for something of this nature.

This album has a dense wall of sound that uses modern production values to help the listener appreciate the whirlwind guitar riffs and slow melodic lead accompaniment used here. Nýr Gata are using dense, high-speed tremolo-riffing and occasional ritualistic passages as well as some sinister and obscure lead guitar melodies sprinkled all over the tracks. There are some ambient and acoustic sections like e.g. in track number three “Tosende Stille”, further enhancing the atmosphere. With the music constantly ebbing and flowing the record feels like an epic journey to dark and fascinating places. The classic black metal screams are joined by more growly vocals as well as some chants and choral passages. There is quite a lot going on over the whole running time so I would recommend to give “Luna Aeterna” a concentrated listen. If you do you will be highly rewarded by a very ambitious genre work. Also the artwork has to be mentioned as it is delicious and would surely look great on a shirt as well.