Räum - Emperor of the Sun (2025)

Räum's 2023 debut Cursed by the Crown was a serviceable slab of surging, atmospheric Belgian black metal, which didn't leave much of an impact with me, but was clearly competent in most of the ways that matter. They follow it up with a sophomore that somewhat copies and pastes the style of its predecessor, but also offers just a fraction more variety in its atmospheric segues where they break away from the sheer force of the venomous rasps and pounding, tidal chord patterns. That's nothing new, perhaps, since tunes like the title track of the debut were already exploring some vague acoustic passages to help mediate the unbroken intensity of the black metal ammunition, but I think there's a better balance here with slightly more substance.

Examples include "Grounds of Desolation" with its almost funereal, minimalistic bridge upon which the cleaner guitars eventually begin to shimmer, carving out the streaming guitars and thundering drums into halves; or the dour and folksy cleans in "Towards the Flame" and "Nemo Me Impune Lacessit", where they almost get experimental with the metal dropping out but the continued rasping as a few massive chords just drone onward to a light percussive shift. This binary technique isn't used all over the disc, as something like "Obscure" just seethes along, basking in its own barbaric juices, with dynamics relying on the layers of guitars that continue to swell and embed into the vaulted ceiling of the record's mix, while the beats and snarls maintain a stay cadence. I think my favorite piece is the titular "Emperor of the Sun", though, which cycles through a number of tempos during its own bridge and feels the most rhythmically adventurous and delivers a depth and mood.

I do think the vocals are good but a little monotonous, retaining the same vile pitch across a lot of the faster material. Emotional and volatile, sure, though some added chants, cleans, growls or maybe even effects would help match the variation the band exhibits as its shifting between to the two extremes. The guitar riffs are also not the stickiest, they always feel like they're just a few notes off from truly burning their way into your memory. There is also something about the production which didn't really resonate for me, I think it's the mix of the vocals and the shining guitar patterns which makes it all feel a bit blunt and streamlined. Those quips aside, I did feel like Emperor of the Sun tiptoes past the debut and shows a slight incline in potential.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

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