“Rocky Mountain Oppressive Dirge”. One cannot but admire the description that Colorado-based trio Velnias gave to the world in order to tell us something about their music.
Indeed, there is something dirty about the band’s sound for they do not want to be over-produced but rather with just about the right amount of “uncleanliness” which is perfect. They have their own blend of atmospheric black metal (comparable to Panopticon without the sheer fury) and hard post-rock (ERR’s Red Sparowes raise a pink neon-sign) and sludgy doom (take Electric Wizard as a reference of choice) and they really know how to keep you listening even though you might be wishing to fall asleep but the sheer musicality of the record births the need to know what happens next on this record. Nevertheless, do not try to single out each ingredient of this record, rather follow the lead and let your mind drift away unto the rocky scenery of the early 1800s when Velnias’ hometown was still a playground for explorers and people trying to hide from something whoever or whatever it may be. The explorer tries to find a path through the thick forests and somewhere on his trailblazing ventures he witnesses the dialogue between our escapist and the wild boar he tamed but that is still nevertheless wild enough to scratch his “master” every once in a while leaving deep red rashes on his arms and legs.
Velnias are able to pull you deeper with every single note they play. However, their primal sound cannot disguise the fact that these guys are craftsmen of a special kind – knowledgeable but not arrogant, humble but not shy, serving but not bowing. They have their own vision of what is to happen on their record and, my god, they know how to do it. This record will leave you brooding over how to reach for the replay button with your mind still lingering in far-off distances. The blending of perfectly balanced guitar motifs with some mesmerizing moments of emersing oneself in a primal world where nothing but survival AND beauty counts makes this record one of the most appealing in atmospheric black metal to be published in 2020. Maybe a trip to the Rockies should be up next, again.
