The enthralling moments immediately unfold on the album’s intro, “Eventide”. Yet there is something dark about the quality and unique craftsmanship, from the majestic synth soundscapes to the furious blast beats that explode in the next song, “Nightweaver”.

In fact, it didn’t take me long to sink into the second opus of the duo, since I was familiar with the debut full-length album “Dawn of the White Rune”. The tremolo pickings and the symphonic tapestry style of the magical craft reach sublime heights on this album, and while these elements play a role in haunting the listener with the synth sections.

The third track, “Mortal Eclipse”, begins with cold, chilly tremolo riffing, fast tempos, and galloping black metal riffs. The keyboards sometimes remind me of early Dimmu Borgir, especially the symphonic orientation, and the majestic aura that the perfect inclusion of spoken female passages gives it the grandiosity of black gothic metal, a la Cradle of Filth.

The songs are succinct and full of ear-catching musical embellishment backed by the keyboards and blasting drums. The vocals are in high-pitched shrieks; the melodic refinement in the guitar’s tone drives the tempos, as the atmosphere permeates the instrumental cut “In Cursed Embrace”. White Rune aims for absolute grandiosity. There is finesse in the fantastic use of ambient suspense, which combines a unique atmosphere.

“Bloodcurse Bound” and “Vampyric Dark Majesty” both showcase White Rune‘s melodic form; the guitars weave into a melodic rapture of rich synth and vampiric poetry. The vocals are often very similar to Shagrath‘s. Each guitar note glides beautifully with the cascading synth and hammering drums in the background, encrusted with tremolo riffing. The latter is soaked in galloping riffs and paired with fast-paced drums. However, this thematic feature is layered throughout the album, showing the heavy influence of classic second-wave black metal.

By layering the use of the organ instrument, these moments spread like a plague in the grandiose arrays that display the flamboyance of the duo. It should be noted that the last three tracks, such as “Nocturnal Lust” and “Arcane Journeys”, include a maelstrom of symphonic soundscapes and multi-layered synth soaked in atmospheric proportions. Melodic guitar fantasy and solos are masterfully crafted by the sonic spell craft of the duo, who reach new heights on their second album.

The slow, sorrowful guitars on “Dawnbreaker” then reach a climax of uplifting tremolo riffs and majestic keyboards, expanding its grandiose approach with skillful guitar. The female vocals are utilized in some passages, bringing a sense of majesty to the music. The album’s outro, “Aurora”, provides an atmospheric closure to this album.

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