Most immediately surprising is the guitar work that, through the effort of both Aort and Vyttra, achieves a sound somewhere between black and doom. Atmospheric, plodding, and at times relentless, Aort and Vyttra’s sound lends itself to any number of comparisons, but a hybrid of November’s Doom or label mates Reverend Bizarre and early Mayhem seems most appropriate. One gets the feeling that the group locked itself in a dank cellar, bringing with itself a collection of weed, moss, a lighter, and its respective instruments, and came out a month later with Nouveau Gloaming clenched tightly in its fist, as finding influences for such a progressive work is difficult.

Much like his guitar-wielding peers, vocalist Kvohst similarly challenges the listener to pin his style to any one genre, utilizing both clean singing and black metal screeches to produce a layer of music that fits like a glove with the progressive instrumental work. On “Brass Dogs,” the second of eight tracks on the album, Kvohst sings in pleasant rhyme as the guitarists maintain plodding chords alongside drummer Aiwarikiar and bassist Viper, both of whom set an appropriately slow pace. When Kvohst screams periodically throughout, the screams contribute quite nicely to the doomy atmosphere and what one gets is a listening experience like no other.

Don’t think for one second that Nouveau Gloaming is one suicide note closer to mass depression, however, as tracks like album opener “The Cotton Optic” and fifth track “Aeon in Cinders” are actually quite fun, considering the lyrical implications. Fast, catchy, and varied in both tempo and chord progressions, these songs are meant to be played live and will induce more than one head-banging snap from many a metalhead. Spinefarm was wise to sign these guys as quickly as it did, as has the potential to contribute further to the revolutionary chapter it has already begun to write in the Book of Black Metal.

written by Chris Chellis