First off, I need to say that the melodies in this are SO GOOD and full of emotion. In a year overflowing with strong black metal releases, here is yet another one that vies for a place on listeners’ end of year lists (and will surely appear in mine). The sole member behind Lament in Winter’s Night is a man known simply as The Seer, and Whereunto the Twilight Leads is the project’s second full album, released on May 28th, 2024 under Hells Headbangers. This record follows up the project’s 2020 debut album At the Gates of the Eternal Storm and is even better than its predecessor, with its insanely memorable melodies and an emotional rawness that is impossible to be indifferent to. This cold and raw (but not too raw, if you’re not into that kind of thing) black metal from Australia immediately caught my attention as soon as I listened to it and I knew I had found a new favorite.
This record has only six tracks but has a total runtime of a little over 43 minutes, including a 3-minute intro track. This intro, titled “The Raven’s Journey (In the Halls of Nostalgia),” is deeply melancholic and beautiful, with gorgeous acoustic guitar and piano melodies, and although it’s on the longer side for an intro track, it doesn’t feel long enough. I feel like I could listen to it for hours on end, and it sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the record. The next track, “The Night Beckons in Yellow and Blue,” is probably my favorite. Clocking in at almost 10 minutes, it is pure raw melodic black metal at its finest. The harsh shrieking vocals sound distant yet go so perfectly well with the guitar melodies. These melodies are so catchy that they are addictive, and I cannot stop listening to them. The tempo slows down around the 6:30-minute mark, and we get some acoustic guitar before the cold electric guitar returns, this time with a slower and gloomier sound than before.
“Dawn, Cast Your Heart” is the record’s third track, teeming once again with emotional and addictive melodies that perfectly surround the cold and harsh vocals. “Blazing Galactic Kingdoms” gives us more frigid melodies and raw emotion, and slows down for a bit around the 4-minute mark into another darkly beautiful acoustic guitar section before picking up speed again for some more melodic black metal for the rest of the song. “Cradle the Flames of a Weary Life” is another super catchy one, with a melody that is bound to stick in your head for hours. There is some lovely piano included towards the second half of the track that really makes its mark and gives the song an unexpected sweetness, making this track another possible favorite. The final track, “Whereunto the Twilight Leads,” is another favorite (please don’t ask me to pick one) and sounds sadder and more wistful than the rest. It’s the perfect final track to a beautiful album, and after it ends I always want to listen to the whole record again. I absolutely love the darker-sounding melodies in this one and it brings all the emotions of the album to a brilliant close.
If you like raw and melodic black metal, I have no doubts that you will enjoy this record. The melodies throughout feel alive and it’s obvious how much passion went into creating them. This is a perfect album to enjoy in the wintry months and I couldn’t have listened to it at a better time. I have yet to check out The Seer’s other projects, but if they are as good as this one, I am in for a treat. This guy is seriously talented and I’m excited to hear more of his music, both future and past.
Buy the vinyl here: https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/item-group.asp?PgpID=38114
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