Netherbird - Into The Vast Uncharted (2019)

Unleashing one hell of a lush and bombastic Melodic Black Metal release, today we have Sweden’s Netherbird and their fifth full-length release “Into the Vast Uncharted”. With a very dynamic sound that incorporates influences from bands like Dissection, Siebenbürgen , (early) Illnath, and (early) Naglfar, this release will satisfy that urge for old-school Melodic Black Metal.

Wasting no time, “Saturnine Ancestry” opens with a high octane onslaught of killer riffs, intense drumming and lush guitar leads to fully set the mood for this brilliant release. After their amazing 2016 release, “The Grander Voyage”, the band continues to crush the competition with dramatic compositions like “Harvest the Stars” and the mellow “Mercury Skies”. Showcasing their unparalleled ability to slowly build up to head banging orgies, “Lunar Pendulum” is one of those tracks that you can listen to it 20 times and still find joy in its intricacies.

Featuring Fredrik Andersson (ex-Amon Amarth) on drums, the band perfectly weaves back and forth mid-tempo songs, “Eventide Evangel” into more intense and diabolical pieces like “The Obsidian White”. With the addition of a crystal clear production by Hiili Hiilesmaa, and mixing by none other than Dan Swanö, this release packs a mean punch as every single song is just amazing and full of refined emotions, like the close “Nexus of Unlight”.

Expertly crafted, “Into The Vast Uncharted” is full of sweeping melodies, crushing drums, an overall brilliant sense of atmosphere and intense tempo changes. Mixing nostalgia with modern production and crafty songwriting, Netherbird delivers one of the best Melodic Black Metal albums of 2019. If you are a fan of old-school Melodic Black Metal, this release should instantly be on your radar.

Label: Eisenwald

Release: September 27th, 2019

Genre: Melodic Black Metal

Country: Sweden