Eternum - Veil of Ancient Darkness (2012)

Eternum proves yet another reason why Australia is leading the pack when it comes to this latest generation of atmospheric black metal, traditionally based but dowsed in reverb and resonance that gives it some legs to stand on. Striborg and Drowning the Light are two of the more prolific acts in this scene, but they've been joined by a host of newcomers like Atra, Temple Nightside, and Moon who all exhibit a great grasp of immersion. I was first exposed to the duo of Nightwolf and Azgorh (both also involved with Drowning the Light themselves) on the Oath of Defiance split with Finnentum of Finland, and thought they held their own alongside another of the mighty Shatraug's impressive projects. This full-length debut could be viewed as the logical extension of that dreamlike, desolate and dense material, and it's a clear means of escape for the darkling imagination.

Don't be misled by the cover image, because Veil of Ancient Darkness is a lot more textured and emotionally draining than the traditional 'forest pose' might normally imply. The shining wall of distortion promoted through the guitar is a staple for several of the bands in this microcosm, hailing back to the formative tones used on earlier Burzum recordings like Filosofem, only its heavily drowned in an airy polish and backing synths and choirs that creates this rich flood of suffering to coincide with Azgorh's harsh, full and echoed rasping. There are not a lot of subtle threads being woven through the music, just the clang of the percussion and the doomed, majestic certainty of the chords and tremolo melodies, but often you'll hear a deep male choir in the background (as in the opener "Tyrannos Regnare in Aeternum") or some other device that keeps the music fresh and leaden with appropriate grief. Eternum is not a one track, pony, though and mid paced cruisers like "Tyrannos..." and "Shores of the Impaled" are offset by the sheer savagery of "Dark Unholy Empire" and "The Iron Winter", or the resilient acoustic interludes like "Ghosts of Warriors in the Dead of Night" or "Burial of Heroes".

I place a great deal of value on this genre's ability to get me out of my current headspace and into some bleak approximation of antiquity, a sojourn Veils of Ancient Darkness is well capable of granting. Favorites included the late 80s Bathory-like momentum of "As Black Smoke Covers the Sun" and the speed picked, lush acoustics of the finale "As the Ravens Watch the Battle", but there wasn't a break on the whole album in terms of its consistent aesthetics of fell, tangible loss and glory. It's not the most 'malevolent' sound, granted. There is no real sense that you're being confined and tortured in a crypt (as with DtL's Catacombs of Blood), but more of this brazen openness, as if the Hessian who has just emerged from the woodland on its cover was about to conquer and immolate some local village, raising morningstar spikes to the sky as the smoke from the cottage fires drifts out towards the sea. And that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's this salient swath of demeanor which so engraves the album's warrior conscience onto the listener, and while it's not necessarily perfect or novel, it's a solid recommendation for fans of the members' other projects, or atmospheric black metal in general.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

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Finnentum & Eternum - Oath of Defiance (2010)

Oath of Defiance is a split CD which might feature artists from two entirely different continents, but a closer examination of the pairing reveals that it's a seamless and natural partnership. Finnentum of course is one of many projects belonging to the prolific Shatraug, who most will recognize from Horna, Sargeist, Mortualia and about 20 other acts, including Drowning the Light, whom he has appeared live with. I don't know much about the Australian half of this collaboration, Eternum, but they're a group who likely belong in the same circle of Drowning the Light, and might even involve some of the same people. Both albums issued decent full-lengths in 2009, and the Oath of Defiance sees them furthering their individual styles, which do not quite match up so well as their intentions.

One might ask, does Shatraug have room for another black metal band in his life? The answer is that Finnentum is not quite in the same style as his better known projects. This is basically dirty and melodic heavy metal, over which Shatraug uses echoing, cleaner vocals not unlike Fenriz on some of the more recent Darkthrone albums. It's dreary and somber, driving fare that delivers more through its atmosphere than the simplistic hooks, but nevertheless I found myself enjoying it intently, especially "Renewal of the Fire" and the more grimy, evil chord patterns of "Oath and Creed". If you've not heard the Finnentum full-length Reveries, then I'd urge you to do so, because the man seems to have a lot of fun branching out into something new, and this particular band gives him a lot of room to breathe. It's dire and menacing, yet somehow enthusiastic, and I do favor his four track contribution to this.

Eternum, on the other hand, have a more expected style, that of very distant, epic black metal with super raw production. That's not to say that they're slouching, because their material here is as enjoyable as it is rudimentary, with powerful melodic rhythms above which the snarled vocals do wonders. Of the two, they've got the colder sound, with "To Rule with an Iron Fist of Defiance" and "The Immortal Shield of Our Blood" standing out among their four tracks, plus the fell glory of an instrumental, "Liberation". While I didn't find the Australians quite so interesting as what Shatraug has manifest here, they're decent enough at their craft, and I feel like the drums at least go very well with Finnentum: simple thuds and crashes, allowing the guitars a spacious, wave-like quality that calculates emotion.

Oath of Defiance is a nice accompaniment to just wanting to kick back, or revel in nature without engaging yourself in much physical activity. I wouldn't qualify its content as 'lethargic', but you certainly hear more open spaces here than narrow, abrupt climes. Dreams of ancient wars, times long gone, myths and history drone on through the channeling of the guitars, and the nice mix of passionate rasps and cleaner, unique vocals make for a solid autumn or winter fixation. I haven't heard the Eternum full-length, but after this, I feel like it might be worth tracking down. As for Shatraug, like most of his work, Finnentum is worth a grab sight unseen, both this EP and his previous Reveries. Coming off the phenomenal releases of both Mortualia and Sargeist, this outlet provides somewhat of a different fascination.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]