Time Signature The Rite of the Black Sun...

Genre: depressive black metal

Finnish black metallers Nattfog are often associated with the NSBM movement, and I might as well come clean and say that I have neither sympathy for nor interest in the NS aspect of this branch of black metal.

That being said, Nattfog's "Mustan Auringon Riitti" is musically quite interesting. Rather than opting for high speed blasting chaos, their style is mid-paced and actually quite melodic, and melancholy is the main ingredient. There is something hauntingly drawing about the music, even if it is not especially technically advanced (but that is not the purpose of this sort of music anyway). Opening track, 'Blinding Fog' has a folksy feel to it, while the closing track 'Kaksitoista Askelta Luvattuun Valtakuntaan' picks up on a similar theme, but featuring synths as the main instrument.

Drawing on repetition, tense harmonies and tremolo picking (blastbeating is pretty much absent though), this release definitely observes the conventions of the black metal ethos, and you can even add harsh, atmospheric echo-laden vocals and a quite raw production.

Fans of depressive and melancholic black metal should definitely check this release out.

(review originally posted at seaoftranquility.org)