Style: Atmospheric black metal, post-metal (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Summoning, Alcest, Sylvaine
Country: Norway
Release date: 4 April 2025

If you frequent online progressive metal spaces, you’ve likely seen memes of people deriding ‘slow-burn’ bands or tracks that generally don’t go anywhere. One I see often shows an ascendant silhouette with the caption ‘Tool fans fifteen minutes into the worst song you’ve ever heard’. Regardless of your opinions on Tool, the meme raises a simple-yet-effective point: there is nothing more frustrating than a slow-burn track that never truly ignites. So when I found out that one-man atmoblack project Eldamar had transitioned away from his magical, Tolkien-inspired origins to something more akin to long-form post-metal with the sensibilities of atmoblack, my eyebrow raised. Could Mathias Hemmingby distill his exploratory sound into a focused crescendoing fire on latest release, Astral Journeys, Pt. II: Dissolution, or does the record fizzle out before it can catch flame?

Astral Journeys II is the second half of a four-’Akt’ piece with a focus on the themes of euphoria in the moments before death. Each of Astral Journeys II’s ‘Akts’ are extended post-metal tracks that vacillate between Jeremy Soule-style orchestral atmospherics, jangly 90s alt-rock guitars, and cinematic buildups into atmospheric black metal riffage. Each piece features multiple buildups, starting more narrow in scope with a focus on approaching the buildup and then exploring ideas more freely within the crescendos. While harsh and clean vocalizations are peppered throughout each track, only the first third of “Akt III” features lyrics as a means of establishing Astral Journeys II’s point-of-view.

The prevalent symphonics work the hardest to sell Astral Journeys II’s ideas, used both as a tool for establishing atmosphere and later as a means to augment the more grand and cinematic moments. “Akt III” introduces the record with hazy, dreamy atmospherics and pulsating synthesizers, later swelling in tandem with a tempo increase and transmuting jangly guitar work into a vast technicolor expanse. In a similar fashion, “Akt IV” begins with Soule-style orchestration which later acts as a central focus for its climax, vamping what sounds like the first seven seconds of House of Pain’s “Jump Around” on repeat. Take that how you will.

This extended vamping at the end of “Akt IV” is a microcosm of Astral Journeys II’s flaws. The record undoubtedly features some gorgeous instrumentation and lush soundscaping, even throwing in a series of killer guitar/keyboard melodies to maintain interest across its runtime. At the same time, there is a nagging insistence that tracks must continue well after they reach their peak. Both of these Akts dawdle endlessly and end up massively overstaying their welcome. The “Jump Around” outro of “Akt IV” would be much more palatable if it wasn’t at the end of an overlong and bumbling journey and then repeated for three minutes. Additionally, the gorgeous buildup of “Akt III” and its subsequent cooldown would have made for a much more sensible end than extending the track a further nine minutes. Should Eldamar be interested in continuing this style, dialing back the song lengths just a touch and indulging in the pleasant interplay between orchestration and melody would bring a much stronger focus to the more compelling ideas that make up Astral Journeys II.

In the face of post-metal, it’s easy to decry any criticism of its length as an issue of patience, but Astral Journeys, Pt II: Dissolution is a prime case of a record resting too long on the laurels of a good idea. Its orchestration is undoubtedly lush and gorgeous, intertwining nicely with the keyboards and the more pleasant guitar melodies, but the approach of maintaining a climactic excitement after reaching the natural peak of a piece ends up wearing on the listener more than it keeps them in that initial euphoria. If patience is a virtue, then dawdling is a sin.

Recommended tracks: Akt III
You may also like: Ashlands, Karg, Unreqvited, Skyforest, Lustre
Final verdict: 5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives
Label: Northern Silence Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook

Eldamar is:
– Mathias Hemmingby (everything)

The post Review: Eldamar – Astral Journeys, Part II: Dissolution appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Melodic black metal, folk metal, dark folk (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Agalloch, Panopticon, Ulver, Saor
Country: Utah, United States
Release date: 17 September 2010

The Cascadian black metal movement birthed many artists who reflect on nature through a Romantic framework. Agalloch traverse snowy landscapes, looking on at modern society through sorrowful eyes and a yearning for ancient mythologies; Wolves in the Throne Room bring these mythologies to life through incantation and reflective rituals; and Ash Borer cling on to the natural world as they anticipate our impending doom. Being from Salt Lake City, Utah, multi-instrumentalist Jake Rogers’ Gallowbraid project is geographically removed from the Cascadian black metal scene, but his heart is planted firmly in the scene’s aesthetics, style, and ideals. Singular opus Ashen Eidolon evokes the same heartbreak as Agalloch, taps into the same desire to ‘just become one with the moss’ as WITTR, and ruminates on the same fears of death as Ash Borer, all in a concise and urgent folk/black metal package.

Ashen Eidolon follows in the footsteps of Agalloch‘s landmark debut, Pale Folklore: mournful arpeggiation meets mid-paced crunchy guitars, melodic tremolos, and a raspy, world-weary vocal delivery. Intertwining the gravelly and heavy sensibilities are much lighter elements, like acoustic guitar, flute, and clean group vocals. The quieter moments carved out by folk instruments not only work as contrast against the black metal ideas, but are a force unto their own, acting as a springboard for explosive climaxes on the two extended tracks and leading along the pensive “Autumn” interludes. Compositions are nonlinear in structure, stringing along a series of contemplations that build into a larger narrative. Filtered through the lens of a golden Autumn forest, a Gothic Romanticism seeps through the album’s painful recollections of loved ones past (“Ashen Eidolon”) and the unease of coming to terms with one’s own death (“Oak and Aspen”).

Though undoubtedly imposing in scope, Ashen Eidolon dials back the cinematic approach of its predecessors in exchange for additional heft in its compositions. Each piece exudes a weighty kineticism through powerful, forward drum work and an uptempo punch; the end result is a masterful balance of plaintive heartbreak and fervent chthonic energy. “Ashen Eidolon” in particular opens with a roiling and hypnotic wall of distorted guitars, tearing through flaxen canopy while remaining grounded by wistful melodic accents. “Oak and Aspen” features soaring arpeggios, chunky drum grooves, and stunning walls of black metal trems, but leans into more melancholy ideas in its climax: the instrumental intensity is dialed back and room is given for Rogers to proclaim a quiet river as his final resting place among the aspen.

The use of folk instrumentation contributes greatly to Ashen Eidolon‘s grandeur, both in the longer tracks and the palate-cleansing acoustic pieces. “Autumn I” bridges the title track and “Oak and Aspen”, offering space to sit and process the opener’s intensity through gentle guitar work, dirging group vocals, and lingering flutes. “Autumn II” acts as an epilogue, its mournful guitars intertwining with warm flutes that hint at the sense of closure brought by the narrator’s death at the end of “Oak and Aspen”. However, Ashen Eidolon‘s most effective use of folk ideas comes about two-thirds through the title track, as ferocious tremolos rip and roar through the forest until they’re given pause by fast-paced, staccato acoustic strumming. The electric guitars and drums respond in kind, mimicking the acoustics and soaring high above the trees in ascendant splendor before gently gliding back into the woods on the backs of doomy chords and haunting clean vocals.

Adorning these arboreal peaks and valleys are reflections on the elegance of Autumn and contemplations on the nature of death. The title track takes a stream-of-consciousness approach to its lyricism, lines like ‘Gold and ochre / behold the tapestry of the Fall / There is a beauty, a certain subtle grandeur / In the withering that consumes us all’ ruminate on the ephemeral qualities of life through the lens of changing seasons. “Oak and Aspen”, on the other hand, is more story-driven, Rogers at first frustrated by his grief but ultimately accepting and even embracing it by the track’s end. Unable to define his sorrow as he watches the seasons pass, he contemplates how the trees that surround him experience death: ‘Do the oaks feel this distant pain? Can the pines offer me relief? / Have the aspens wept with the rain? Does the forest know this untouchable grief?’ The track concludes by finding solace in how death and change are are fundamental connectors of all things and that, even through heartache and suffering, not all is lost: ‘Through words of wind and verse of falling leaves / Its song is one of sorrow and days long past / The time is gone but the memories always last.’

Ashen Eidolon is a testament to death and the myriad ways it manifests as an agent of change. Through high-energy songwriting, evocative Romantic imagery, and earthen folk instrumentation, Rogers reminds us that there is beauty to be found in small moments, in nature’s inevitable decay, and in how our lives and bodies continue on in ways anew after our passing. The added heaviness in Gallowbraid‘s approach gives extra impact to its sentiments and establishes a stunning contrast for both its quieter moments and its climaxes. Even in the most barren of deserts, the spirit of black metal and the misty Cascades live on.

Recommended tracks: Ashen Eidolon, Oak and Aspen, Autumn I
You may also like: Fellwarden, Thrawsunblat, Cân Bardd

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page

Label: Northern Silence Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook

Gallowbraid is:
– Jake Rogers (everything)

The post Lost in Time: Gallowbraid – Ashen Eidolon appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Album art by Detestor Graphics

Style: Post-black metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Deafhaven, Heretoir
Country: Sweden
Release date: 6 September 2024

I’ve had a soft spot for the type of black metal that’s watered down by other subgenres for as long as I’ve been reviewing music, so my love affair with post-black metal/blackgaze should be of little surprise. The manner in which it blends the raw intensity of black metal with ethereal and emotional flavours is akin to a cathartic ray of light—a way to show hope within the darkness. That combination is something that routinely plucks at my heartstrings like Nero fiddling away while Rome burns.

Together to the Stars is no exception—I was already familiar with their entire catalog, and admittedly very excited coming into this third release. Their previous two LPs had showcased the two sides to this band which I’ve grown to really like: a by-the-numbers, climax heavy post-black side on An Oblivion Above that delivered on long build ups and harrowingly beautiful production, and a rawer, crunchier blackgaze side with a bigger focus on standard songs and a heftier punch on As We Wither. However, the wide disconnect between both releases left me wondering what direction they’d take for their third release; would they create another completely different sound? Would they just repeat one of their previous sounds? Would they mix them both? In any case, if there’s one thing I can say, it’s that Together to the Stars did not disappoint. 

The Fragile Silence maintains the core songwriting process present in their debut and its heavenly atmosphere with some of the rawer, deeply emotional sections found in their sophomore. This creates an album that is at an all time high in terms of theatrics and angst; the guitar melodies accompanying the black metal blueprint feel grand and sweeping. Meanwhile, vocalist Franco Fuentes pulls off a performance that drowns you in anguish, building on grand melodies and climaxes, the few quieter sections that occur post climax haunted by this feeling of grief-stricken nostalgia. Add multiple orchestral breaks on top of all that and you’ve got an album that aims straight for your heart. 

Such a specific sound can be very hit or miss, but it definitely hits for me. I connected with The Fragile Silence the second that incredible first riff in “Mercurius” hit; a simple yet effective way to open an album with a beautiful, haunting melody that sends you back in time to a memory that feels both so close yet so distant’ it’s as if the dreampop soundscapes of Deafheaven blended itself with the cathartic combination of heavy riffs and strong melodies of subgenre mainstays like Heretoir. The shrieks join in shortly after while it straps in your belt and sends you down a typical black-metal soundscape of blast beats and tremolo riffs all the while maintaining strong major chord melodies with orchestral undertones. The tune then masterfully balances the grim atmosphere and hopeful melodies with the help of a few brief acoustic interludes that help space out the riff-fest present throughout the second half of the song. This core formula doesn’t change at all throughout the record, but clocking it at just over forty minutes means that Together to the Stars get the most out of this musical landscape without causing any ear fatigue.

While there are few apparent flaws to break The Fragile Silence, the production value isn’t quite as good as it could be. Together to the Stars thrive in their grandiosity and even manage to include some trickier instruments like violins without ruining the entire sound of a song. but some sections, particularly in the drums have an unnecessary rawness to try to enhance the emotions on display; this leads to the rhythm section disappearing into the background washing them out in an otherwise clear, crisp mix.

But even then, that’s only a very small issue in a general experience that connected with me on a level that little music has done in a while. The Fragile Silence is a marvelous display of how to do emotionally charged extreme metal, and while it might not bring anything you haven’t already heard to the table, it’ll make a fine addition to your collection of post-black albums for those times you need to be hit straight in the feels.

Recommended tracks: Mercurius, The Last Glacier
You may also like: Constellatia, Ba’al, Evergarden
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Northern Silence Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook

Together to the Stars is:
– David Steinmarck (keyboards, guitars, vocals)
– William Zackrisson (keyboards, guitars)
– Sebastian Ryderberg (bass)
– Magnus Brolin Stjärne (drums)

The post Review: Together to the Stars – The Fragile Silence appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Style: Symphonic black metal, folk, classical (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Emperor, Agalloch, Chopin, Debussy
Country: Australia
Release date: 3 May 2024

Aquilus should be, by all accounts, a lightning in a bottle band. With a whole ten years between debut Griseus, which remains my favorite black metal album ever, and the first half of the massive Bellum, it almost seemed that Horace Rosenqvist had called it quits. To this day, Bellum I is an album I regret not reviewing for the Subway, so we’ll take this as a sort of retroactive review of both records.

So, let’s get that out of the way. Bellum I proved that Aquilus is one of the most unique musical projects out there. What seems like normal sympho-black on the surface gives way to some of the most beautiful classical piano pieces I’ve ever heard, and Rosenqvist’s ability to juggle between the two seamlessly is what makes them stand out among everyone else. But Bellum I is only half of the output that Rosenqvist spent ten years making. How does the album’s second half stack up?

It brings me every ounce of joy to say that Aquilus has not lost any of that quality between releases. Bellum II is mostly held up high by two massive, seventeen minute songs, and the album’s all the better for it. Before you get there, the opening duo ‘By Tallow Noth’ and ‘Into the Earth’ set the stage for a new era of the project, that sees Rosenqvist working with sessions drummers, violinists and opera singers. Thundering drums welcome you back to the more metal side, and the back-half includes that trademark, Chopin-esque piano.

Despite the inclusion of some new faces, Aquilus’s core sound remains intact and stronger than ever. Rosenqvist has always been a master of song movements, but there’s more cohesion than ever here. The transition from classical to blast beats at the start of SOTY contender ‘Night to Her Gloam’ made me sit the fuck down and appreciate all the hard work that’s gone into this album. The thundering, Ne Obliviscaris-like toms that bring ‘By Tallow North’ to a massive crescendo locked me in just like ‘Nihil’ off Griseus did. 

‘Nigh’ and ‘My Frost Laden Vale’ would collapse in the hands of a less skillful band. But Aquilus earn that insane runtime by filling every crevice of these two songs with the best ideas they could get. The Be’lakor reminiscent riff in ‘Nigh’, coupled with the screaming solo that follows would be enough to satisfy me, but that would leave out the absolutely breathtaking, jaunty folk section that follows, which builds and becomes one of the best riffs Rosenqvist has ever written.’Into the Earth’ begins with a frenetic, thrash-y jaunt that slowly moves into dark folk territory, and this is all in the first two minutes. 

The Opeth influence is still clear in Bellum, as there’s still plenty of Akerfeldtian octave chord shifting and sections in 6/8, but there is so much more to be found on both albums. Aquilus don’t forget to have a bit of aggression with their beauty, and the changes from pummeling to soothing have never been better. In fact, Aquilus remind me of why I love early Opeth so much and why I fell in love with prog to begin with: they write songs in movements, skillfully branching out through each section without feeling stuffed or endlessly noodly. Aquilus know when its time to slow a song down for a bit, just to make room for the next upcoming epic riff. 

If I were just talking about the two epics, I would just give this album a 10/10 and call it my AOTY. Unfortunately, it’s not just that. Upon first listen, I was a little disappointed that such a massive, epic album ends on what is essentially very pretty noise. However, upon listening to it as one massive, two-hour piece, I find that my initial pacing quibbles with Bellum II are solved. Bellum I seems like a classical album with metal bits, while Bellum II very much feels the opposite, and I think they compliment each other quite beautifully in that way. 

Aquilus’s talent seems to know no bounds. They stand high and proud among a genre laden with Emperor wannabes and guys who stick trem riffs over a synth and call it sympho-black. Horace Rosenqvist and company understand the very meaning of blending classical and metal, and this is why I cannot help but gush over how incredible Bellum as a whole has turned out. Now that Rosenqvist has a whole band at his disposal, let’s see how the next masterpiece is going to turn out. 

Recommended tracks: Nigh to Her Gloam, My Frost Laden Vale, but you owe it to yourself to listen to both albums back to back
You may also like: Dessiderium, In Vain, Lamentari
Final verdict: 8.5/10 (9/10 for Bellum as a whole)

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Northern Silence Productions – Bandcamp | Facebook

Aquilus is:
– Horace Rosenqvist (Everything)

The post Review: Aquilus- Bellum II appeared first on The Progressive Subway.