Om

Are you thirsty for black metal that's out of the schemes and absolutely original? Look no further. Negura Bunget's "Om" combines atmospheric black metal with influences ranging from folk, to ambient, to progressive metal, crafting a suggestive and unique piece of music.

Each and every instrument finds its place to shine on the record: the percussions are particularly complex, matched by eclectic guitars, capable of mesmerizing the listener with beautiful melodies as much as shaking him through ominous dissonances. There's much more than tremolo picking to be found, something that significantly contributes to the unorthodox nature of "Om", as well as the adoption of unusual instruments (the xylophone really rocks, as strange as it may seem!), but what really seals the ancestral, almost primitive feel of the full-length are the keyboards.

Not only the keyboards provide a cohesive musical layer throughout the entire duration of the record, they also play a leading role during various sections of the songs, further adding to the complexity of the soundscape that is "Om". Vocals are another highlight: the vary from the typical Eastern-European black metal shrieks, to beautifully sung cleans, which, paired by an equally ecleptic and imaginative songwriting, make up for an engaging and fresh listening experience.

As with other offerings from the band, the platter really delivers when it's listened in its entirety, as the songs are part of a sort of concept, strictly written in Romanian language. This may seem surprising given the variation found throughout the tracks, while it's indeed the result of precise songwriting choices. Being able to sound so ecleptic yet cohesive is no easy task, but Negura Bunget succeeded in crafting something really unique, that few other bands can rival in terms of quality and originality: hence, this is an absolutely recommended listen.