Warthur The artwork for Settler by Vattnet Viskar (who'd drop the "Viskar" after this release) seems unusually bright and sunny for a black metal album, which prompted raised eyebrows at its release, but don't be fooled - we're not quite out of the howling darkness yet. See, the cover art depicts Christa McAuliffe, one of the astronauts who died in the Challenger disaster, on a zero-G training flight, so if you want gory, firey death, there's an implication of it right there.

But as others have noted, the album isn't solely about that. Following the trend in American atmospheric black metal bands to broaden the emotional palette of black metal-inspired music, Vattnet Viskar use the disaster to contemplate themes of exploration, competition, and the sacrifices people make for both. As you might expect, some Deafheaven-esque blackgaze influences make it in here and there, and the spaceflight theme prompts the band to seek to not only inspire terror but also convey an awe of the cosmos.

It's all well and good, and not as far from black metal tradition as purists might make out - cosmic and space themes have crept into black metal frequently over the years, and Darkspace have made a career out of just that - but the fact that the album isn't the major sonic departure from precedent that purists were afraid it would be is, in and of itself, a bit of a disappointment. Yes, there's sludge and blackgaze influences creeping in here and there, but all too often it slips back to a more generic atmospheric black metal sound, which when you consider the more audacious space trips groups like Darkspace and Progenie Terrestre Pura have each offered in their own distinct way feels like a missed opportunity.

It's still a very solid four-star album, but I feel like Vattnet have yet to truly break free from the atmospheric black metal pack. You only need to listen to one album from those other bands I've mentioned to get a really firm idea of what their sound is; I'm still not sure I know what the Vattnet sound is.

adg211288 Settler (2015) is the second full-length album by US black metal act Vattnet Viskar. The band, whose previous release was Sky Swallower (2013), were inspired by 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster for the album, with particular attention given to Christa McAuliffe, the school teacher who was chosen by NASA to take part in the mission as part of their Teacher in Space Project, which ended with the explosion of the shuttle 73 seconds after it launched - which is actually the one event of this true story that Vattnet Viskar have chosen to leave out of the album. The reasoning behind this concept is, according to guitarist Chris Alfieri in an interview with Decibel Magazine dated June 17th 2015: "Christa was from Concord, New Hampshire, the town that I live in. One of my first memories is the Challenger mission’s demise, so it’s a personal thing for me. But the album isn’t about the explosion, its about everything else. Pushing to become something else, something better. A transformation, and touching the divine." The album's cover artwork, which is quite unusual for a black metal release, is based off a photograph of Christa McAuliffe.

The core of the music on Settler is atmospheric black metal (sometimes leaning towards blackgaze) but there are also strong sludge metal elements that add a much heavier edge to the proceedings. At times, the album sounds less black metal and more like some kind of atmospheric early Mastodon. The eight track release isn't that long, falling a little shy of the forty minute mark, making the individual songs all short and to the point, but with a good flow between them to make Settler an experience best taken in a single sitting, which the short running time makes very doable. No ideas in the composition outstay their welcome this way. It's a very easy album to listen to over and over. The harsh vocals of Nicholas Thornbury don't make easy following and as is the case with a lot of black metal like this (with or without the sludge element) they feel more like a component of the atmosphere the band is creating, rather than something to carry the track forward. If I had to pick a favourite track I think I'd have to say the second song on the album, Colony. I like the way it switches from absorbing atmospheric black metal to crushing sludge.

It's an instantly impressive release, but it's only with subsequent listens that I begin to really appreciate what a real gem of the black metal genre Settler is. For all the genre's reputation for raw, under-produced sounds and corpse painted musicians there exist groups like Vattnet Viskar and albums like Settler, which show the style's diversity. This is a mesmerising release from the group. It could even be considered a beautiful piece of work in many respects as the band clearly have an ear for melody, which has a big presence on Settler. The album has been steadily working its way up my list of 2015 releases, and I'd say that out of everything I listened to for the year, this is most definitely in the top five. Highly recommended!