Vallendusk - Fortress of Primal Grace

By Hera Vidal. About three weeks ago, I wrote about Vallendusk’s Homeward Path and I mentioned that the band has a comforting, atmospheric black metal appeal and a tendency for cohesiveness and musical experimentation. For their third album

By Hera Vidal.


About three weeks ago, I wrote about Vallendusk’s Homeward Path and I mentioned that the band has a comforting, atmospheric black metal appeal and a tendency for cohesiveness and musical experimentation. For their third album, Fortress of Primal Grace, it seemed they decided to amp their other metal influences and fully let that meld with the atmospheric black metal to create something greater and majestic.

True to their brand of experimentation, Vallendusk still makes me want to get up and dance, as their ever-present folk tones continue in effect. What’s even better is that they took their melodic metal influences and they ran with it, creating an album that continues in that warm vein of atmospheric black metal. However, instead of their focus being in the music, a lot of attention has been paid to their atmosphere. With the usage of clean vocals and what sounds like a reel, the atmosphere feels like a warm blanket, letting the listener become acquainted with the comforting sounds of the backing melody. This album isn’t meant to scare you or make you go into a certain headspace to enjoy it; rather, it uses tones that have already worked in the past and they incorporated new sounds to keep things fresh and vibrant. Vallendusk even makes the atmosphere even warmer by adding acoustic touches to the music, amplifying the overall mood of the record. Vallendusk has definitely expanded their musical range by adding to their vast catalogue of musical elements that they can get away with.

What also caught my attention regarding Fortress of Primal Grace was the overall high production value the album has. I have mentioned that they have a tendency for cohesiveness, but everything about Fortress is clean – the mixing is excellent, the instrumentation doesn’t overpower the vocals, and the sound is crisp and clear. You can hear every single aspect of the tones used on the album and how they are all woven together throughout the album. You can’t help but marvel at Vallendusk’s cohesiveness. Granted, pulling this off on the first two albums is unheard of, but actually continuing their streak of excellence shows off Vallendusk’s incredible musicianship. This is a band that knows what works sonically and have decided to stick with it.

All in all, Fortress of Primal Grace is an excellent testament of Vallendusk’s brand of atmospheric black metal. Fortress is the most accessible and approachable of the three albums so far, but it also shows just how keen their musical evolution is. From emphasizing atmospheric black metal on Black Clouds Gathering to the clean instrumentation of Fortress, Vallendusk is a case study of a band that truly knows their stuff.

Zuriaake - Gu Yan

By Hera Vidal. China isn’t one of those countries I would consider to be very metal. For one thing, there’s censorship and Communism, and metal is one of those things I would consider to be very Western. However, since the eventual spread

By Hera Vidal.

Artwork by 代千竹

China isn’t one of those countries I would consider to be very metal. For one thing, there’s censorship and Communism, and metal is one of those things I would consider to be very Western. However, since the eventual spread of black metal to the rest of the world (the never-ending “third wave”), many countries have taken black metal’s DNA and modified it, creating music that fits their culture and what they want to show.

Zuriaake, a Chinese band who came into the scene in 1998, is no exception to the rule – except they decided to combine atmospheric black metal with depressive overtones, and then adding traditional Chinese instruments that add nuance to the music. Their brand of atmospheric black metal is enjoyable and highly accessible, creating a perfect marriage of melodies that makes the album sound majestic. This album reminds me of the wuxia films I grew up watching as a kid, as the music presents a perfect backdrop for the stories in those films. It’s dark and emotional, but there is also a sense of hope on this album that translates well to the listener. Interestingly enough, the music becomes more and more Chinese the further you listen to it. At first, it stands quietly in the background, but by the time “邊關” begins, the full effect of the Chinese instruments have blistered your ears, creating an Imperial Court feel that you could see in films. It also allows the listener to fully enjoy the album on its own, as the vocals only accentuate the majesty of the music. You can easily lose track of time while listening to the record, but the headspace it allows the listener to be in is a calming one, even with all the black metal elements the album has going on.

The bulk of its music is on the sprawling 20-minute track “邀 (广寒 / 仙游 / 南柯)”, which is the crowning jewel of the album. This bombastic, emotional track shows the multitude of what Gu Yan has in store, and it’s so massive, you can sit and listen to it with your mouth wide open. It almost feels like there are three songs in one, but they are so well-put together that they flawlessly meld into each other. Even if you decide that the album isn’t for you, listening to “邀…” is recommended.

All in all, Gu Yan is an album that represents China as a country with a stake in black metal. It’s majestic, emotional, and reminiscent of wuxia films. There’s something incredibly imperial to it, as if the music had been smuggled from the Forbidden City. I am surprised by this album. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I expect it will get a permanent spot on my winter playlist.

Akvan - Forgotten Glory

By Hera Vidal. One of the most unlikely places that black metal would show up in would be in the Middle East. Plagued by war and, in many cases, strict religious laws, metal is not the sort of music that would thrive in this region.

By Hera Vidal.


One of the most unlikely places that black metal would show up in would be in the Middle East. Plagued by war and, in many cases, strict religious laws, metal is not the sort of music that would thrive in this region. However, that hasn’t stopped many people in these countries to make their own black metal and add their own spin to it. Despite the usage of YouTube and Bandcamp for musicians to publish their music, Middle Eastern black metal still remains underground, but that hasn’t stopped listeners to get their hands on it, and enjoy the music that comes from the region.

Is metal (black metal or otherwise) easy to come by in Iran?

First off, metal and Western music is technically banned, even though you can find bootlegged copies of any current US Top 40 artist on every street corner. If you look hard enough, I’m sure you can find some shops that sell bootlegged metal albums, but it would prove an arduous journey. The Internet in Iran is ridiculously slow, especially if you try to download anything. Not to mention that it is heavily censored. But the Iranian people will always be one step ahead of their government and every now and then I’ll run into people who know what the hell I’m talking about when I mention black metal.

From Bandcamp Daily

Akvan is a one-man black metal project from Iran that, despite its ban of Western culture and music, has managed to create a compelling project that tackles both Iranian history and mythology and how its culture can be misinterpreted by its own people. Forgotten Glory is no exception to Akvan’s past demos – it continues to explore Iran’s history through music. What I love most about Forgotten Glory is how the project combines traditional Iranian instruments and black metal tonalities, creating music that sounds somber yet furious. There is a deep rage that comes out through the album, as if Akvan was angry about the current politics in Iran and wants its citizens to listen to read the history, not just focus on the current laws the country has. However, the somber nature, which comes from the tar, adds to that feeling that, despite the rage Akvan feels, looking at the history is nostalgic, back to a time that seemed easier to understand.

It’s very difficult to put what one is feeling through words, but you can’t deny that Akvan’s music is incredibly emotional. For one thing, you can’t help but sympathize with the stories that Akvan presents. In some cases, you can only feel the rage that he presents. In other cases, you can’t help but look fondly at the stories he presents, as if you are too identifying with the lyrics he presents to you. As a foreigner in a country that feels like a second home, I can’t help but try to find comfort in Akvan’s music. By listening to the music and looking at the lyrics, it reminds me that I know almost nothing about my country’s history (unless we are talking about the dictatorships and the systematic killings), allowing me to gain appreciation for another country’s history. Akvan makes it approachable, respecting his origins and also the changes that Iran has gone since its inception.

All in all, Forgotten Glory is an album that pays respect to both its subject matter and the land that allowed it to come forth. Despite the ban, there is no stopping black metal from assimilating itself into other countries, especially when it’s used to talk about culture, politics, and religion. In a country where church and state rule together, Akvan thrives, showing us the resilience of the music that refuses to be limited.