siLLy puPPy Sandwiched between their debut album “Five Treasures Of Snow” and their 2017 followup full-length “The Sachem’s Tales,” DZÖ-NGA released this one track mini-EP UPON THE SHIMMERED BOUGH which features the 15 minute and 39 second track of the same name. This single track is pretty much a bridge between the percussionless debut album and the more developed second one. UPON THE SHIMMERED BOUGH carries the torch of the cold and darkened dungeon synth type of atmospheric keyboards with the heavy black metal guitar segments but also adds blastbeat percussion. Also found are the mellow atmospheric folk sections with clean vocals but the metal parts are more furious and less buried in the mix than on the debut. Unlike the following “The Sachem’s Tales” this one is entirely performed as a one man show of Cryvas who plays the guitars, keyboards, bass (which is buried in the mix) as well as the clean and shrieked vocals.

UPON THE SHIMMERED BOUGH is a decent atmospheric black metal track. It has the best of both worlds. It builds up the intensity with intricate classically inspired piano runs, heavy atmospheric electronica and folk sections with lots of room to let the instrumental parts breathe before the vocals augment the melodic developments. After it builds up the tension, the black metal parts are satisfactory in their intensity but never lose the atmospheric creepiness. After the track fully unfolds and crescendoes, the track ends with a dungeon synth outro and chimes that truly ushers out a well done track that delivers the dark and depressive goods as expected from the album cover. Perhaps the only thing not going for UPON THE SHIMMERED BOUGH is that it doesn’t exactly reek in creativity. It would take the addition of Grushenka Ødegård’s feminine charm to add an extra layer to give DZÖ-NGA a boost into more interesting territory but this EP is quite decently done and a great listen.