_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _ ___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___ | / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ | | . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . | | .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. | _ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _ \\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | // \ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | / . | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | . | | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | | .... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | .... | ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` | |.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....| . ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. . _____________:_____________ _____________:_____________ _ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _ // __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\ _ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _ \\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ /// - -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- - - -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ - : : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : : ___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___ _\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_ /_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\ /// . . : : . . \\\ /: :\ /:: Artist :: Vargrav ::\ :: Album :: The Nighthold :: :: Year :: 2023 :: :: __ _ _ __ :: -:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:- :: \ / :: :: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CD . :: :: Label :: Werewolf Records R.date :: 2024-12-08 :: _::__ Cat.nr. :: EVIL-106 S.date :: 2023-12-15 __::_ ::// \\:: ::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\:: :: :: /: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\ ..: Bitrate :: avg. 269kbps :.. . Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo . . Size :: 120.84MB . . . __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: 1. Moonless Abyss of the Nighthold 2:26 :: :: 2. Through the Woods of Breathing Shadows 5:43 :: :: 3. Chalice of Silver and Blood 5:49 :: :: 4. Thy Imperial Malice 4:31 :: :: 5. Curse of the Plaguewood Lake 2:02 :: :: 6. Encircle the Spectral Dimension 5:48 :: :: 7. Triumph of the Nightbringer 6:21 :: :: 8. Into the Shadow Crypts 3:52 :: :: 9. The One Who Lurks Beyond the Starscape 3:56 :: :: 10. A Dark Consecration 5:05 :: :: 11. Creator of the True Realm 4:08 :: :: 12. Ghostlands 9:42 :: :: :: :: :: :: ------- :: .. >> 59:23 .. __ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __ .\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////. +/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+ /: . : : . :\ /:: ::\ :: :: :: Well, well, well, time sure flies by, right? It feels like it :: :: was just a couple of weeks ago when I heard and reviewed :: :: Encircle the Spectral Dimension, the latest EP of Finnish :: :: symphonic black metal band Vargrav. Little did I know that a :: :: third full-length album The Nigthold was going to be released :: :: on December 15th at the doorstep of the Winter season, and here :: :: we are at last, finally able to enter the draconic castle :: :: shrouded in purple mist, haunted by wraiths and gargoyles. Are :: :: you ready to once again experience the cosmic and stellar :: :: epicness of VargravÆs music? If you are, stay awhile and :: :: listenà :: :: :: :: As the wicked witches giggle and their venomous brews burst :: :: with bubbles on the opening instrumental track ôMoonless Abyss :: :: of the Nightholdö, you hear the violins and keyboards building :: :: the tension and atmosphere of The Nighthold, all the while :: :: slowly descending in the realm of the crimson dragon. Once :: :: again, the epicness of Vargravcs music does not fail to amuse, :: :: because once again you hear the cosmic and stellar beauty of :: :: their symphonic black metal majesty with tremolo picking riffs, :: :: blast beat, double-bass or mid-tempo drumming, WerwolfÆs harsh :: :: frozen vocals and that beautiful melancholic sound from the :: :: keyboards. The album maintains the draconic energy with its :: :: stylistic consistency from one track to another, all the while :: :: each track feels like an epic composition with a strong :: :: emphasis on storytelling through music. The music keeps the :: :: imagination going at all times, even with two more ambient :: :: instrumentals äCurse of the Plaguewood Lakeô and ôInto the :: :: Shadow Cryptsö, both of which further continue to build up the :: :: general feeling of The Nighthold while also starting a new :: :: chapter between songs. ItÆs amazing how the album gradually :: :: gets better and progressively chaotic the further it goes, :: :: especially when you get to the fine banger tunes such as äThe :: :: One Who Lurks Beyond the Starscapeö. The biggest praise that :: :: this album would obviously get besides the black metal :: :: instrumental work is the symphonic touches of the keyboards, :: :: which convey such an array of emotions next to the majestic :: :: atmosphere that is reminiscent of bands such as early Dimmu :: :: Borgir, Emperor, Odium, Limbonic Art and Diabolical Masquerade. :: :: There are some rather surprising moments as well, that being :: :: the unexpected tender guitar solo section on the eleventh track :: :: äCreator of the True Realô which sounds like itÆs coming from a :: :: Steve Vai song, but a very fun inclusion nonetheless. I have to :: :: say that the album also ends on a very high note with the :: :: closing track äGhostlandsô, yet another ambient instrumental :: :: that is 9 minutes and 43 seconds like, giving you an impression :: :: like youÆve reached the closing credits of an epic movie. :: :: :: :: Like I said, there seems to be some strong emphasis on :: :: storytelling through music, even the instrumental tracks and :: :: symphonic elements feel like theyÆre inspired by soundtracks :: :: from fantasy video games like Neverwinter Nights, Divinity: :: :: Original Sin II, Dragon Age: Origins or similar, especially :: :: since the atmosphere of these tracks create such an environment :: :: in your head, which is even more hyped up with the brilliant :: :: album cover by indonesian artist Johny Prayogi. I wouldnÆt be :: :: surprised if it turned out that there was a strong influence :: :: from video game and perhaps film music that were subconsciously :: :: laying in the blackened minds of V-Khaoz and Werwolf. Just like :: :: on the previously released EP Encircle the Spectral Dimension, :: :: Vargrav had an extra backup from two contributing guest :: :: members, that being Marko Tarvonen on drums and Henri :: :: äTrollhornô Sorvali on guitars and bass, both of whom have done :: :: a great job on this album along with of V-Khaoz on keyboards :: :: and Werwolf on vocals. The sound production sounds grand and :: :: powerful, and yet very in style of many 90Æs black metal albums :: :: in similar style. :: :: :: :: I believe that The Nightold manages to fulfill the high :: :: expectations, which were briefly teased with the Encircle the :: :: Spectral Dimension EP. It is a fine album that is worth :: :: listening from start to finish, without ever losing track of :: :: what is going on and always being on the edge of your seats :: :: wondering what is going to happen next. Like I said before, :: :: Vargrav stands the test of time, and The Nighthold is both like :: :: a fine wine and a living proof that they indeed deserved their :: :: status of worship. :: :: :: :: . _ _ . :: \: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/ __\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2024 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__ \\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO/// \ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: / :: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | :: : :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: : :: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | :: :: | | \ :|: / | | :: : : | . ` ::: ' . | : : . . | : ::: : | . . | :::....:::....::: | : ::::::::::::::::: : . :::''``:::''``::: . : ::: : . ::: . .:. :