Kauan - 'Lumikuuro' (2007)

Kauan - 'Lumikuuro' (2007)

1) Alku

2) Aamu ja Kaste

3) Lumikuuro

4) Savu

5) Koivun Elämä

6) Syleilyn Sumu

7) Villiruusu

8) Syleilyn Sumu (Akkustika)

Kauan are a folk black metal band from Russia. Well, you could say there were a folk black metal band. Nah, they didn't break up, but their last album was most atmospheric folk/post-rock. I have yet to listen to it, but right now I'm very satisfied with this debut full-length.

It has the black metal elements mostly in the vocals. But don't take that as if they don't fit, because they do fit very well with the music. It's more towards atmospheric black metal, where the drums are much more laid back (almost like doom metal drumming) but with heavy distorted guitars with interludes of clean guitars, synthesizers, and other atmospheric sounds.

There's a ton of piano on this album which gives it a neat feel. You can just hear the heavy emotions in the song. It's really cool how they attain that with such little layering of music and sounds.

If you like post-metal like Agalloch that's melancholy, but also really heavy at times, check this album out. I might go so far as to say that it's the most unique black metal album I've ever heard. Of course I'm not too well-versed in black metal, but this still warrants a listen.

RIYL: Enslaved, Amesoeurs, Alcest

Der Weg einer Freiheit - 'Der Weg einer Freiheit' (2009)

Der Weg einer Freiheit -'Der Weg einer Freiheit' (2009)

Tracks (translations in brackets thanks to Genta):

1) Ewigkeit [Eternity]

2) Spätsommer [Late Summer]

3) Frei [Free]

4) Aurora [Aurora]

5) Zum Abschied [Farewell]

6) Welk [Faded]

7) Neubeginn [Restart]

This is actually a strange pick for me, it's an Atmospheric Black Metal band from Germany. I don't really listen to that much Black Metal, mostly atmospheric Black Metal kinda like Alcest or Amesoeurs if you know them. They blend post-rock and Black Metal vocals, which is really neat.

Black Metal to me has always seemed to be centered around emotion, whether sadness or anger. They screams from the vocalists really express that, and this band really offers that in a cool way. They are a vocalist and then another musician who plays guitar, bass, and programs the drums for the albums.

I don't understand the song titles or vocals, but I could really care less because the music is so captivating, especially the guitar parts, sometimes with the usual non-scalar tremolo picking of Black Metal like in "Zum Abschied", but sometimes in a more triumphant and positive manner like in "Ewigkeit".

If you like any Black Metal, then you should check this out. But even if you enjoy some post-metal or screaming vocals from time to time, it's still worth a YouTube search of some of their tracks, they're really stunning, and the album doesn't exceed 50 minutes like many Black Metal albums do.

RIYL: Enslaved, Alcest, Amesoeurs