Moonlight Sorcery – Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity EP

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In the last few years, the Finnish underground black metal scene has presented a number of promising bands like Mooncitadel, Ymir, Faustian Pact, and Morgal. Moonlight Sorcery is yet another fine example of this sub-genre, formed in 2018 by Ruttomieli (vocals), Haaska (rhythm guitar), and, Loitsumestari Taikakallo (lead guitars and bass). The first thing to thrill you about the band’s debut EP “Piercing Through The Frozen Eternity” is the frozen landscape of ice and medieval castle as if the moon outshines the pine trees on all sides of this beautiful painting which portrays a sense of winter.

The opening intro “Untenkutoja” serves as a gateway to the majestic creation of the music, though the harsh frosty aura becomes paired with the beautiful piano note takes your breath away and the music creates the chill of icy cold picturesque. From the musical settings, you can say that Moonlight Sorcery emphasizes the lead guitars while the keyboards provide a theme of fantasia. The guitars on “For Thy Light Is Ice” demonstrate its versatility and the drums get pretty fast through the up-tempo parts, with the everlasting melodies bringing the lead guitars to full focus. There are some elements of melodic death metal and black metal brought to constant shift. Moonlight Sorcery’s musical quest wanders across the creative hallmarks of the Scandinavian black metal, offering the listener a refreshing and inspirational muse. The debut EP stands somewhere between the melodic and symphonic black metal, the melodic nature of the music and the resilient shifts of the drums and the guitars reveal numerous inspirations.

Ice-Veiled Spell” flits at hyper-speed motion with the guitars equipped with tremolo-picked riffs, the songwriting reflects upon the 90’s black metal a la Emperor. The music blossoms into a majestic charm with the rhythm guitar creating magnificent melodies and hooks, the grim screeching vocals providing sheer epicness. The composition is refined to purity elaborated by the agility of the surmounting guitar solos and the synth textures the music flows into catchy lines to act as a magisterial royalty for the nocturnal melodies. There is a great diversity among the songs, on the other hand the drums are played fast and they gush out like a fallen avalanche, without relying much on blast beats.

The lead guitars and the drums lay the bead work, the synth patterns lend manifold textures, and they are topped with powerful riffs. Moonlight Sorcery infuses fast rhythm in the up-tempo, the drums always find ways to stir up the pace and there are plenty of surprising twists on “Wolven Hour”. Which is driven by heavy guitars that add more texture to the music while the harsh vocals sway across the unsettling drum filling and the chilling keyboard passages backing the shredding guitar solos. The debut EP “Piercing through the Frozen Eternity” is consistently engaging, and the chaotic burst of the drums is backed up by piercing guitar riffs. The music has a fine line of switching from the modern style of Finnish black metal a la Werwolf and Morgal to classic Scandinavian styled black metal. Even though the short duration of 25 minutes is full of supercharged up-tempos, they’re topped with swaggering lead guitars and solo segments.

The melodic murkiness is so mesmeric and catchy enough to keep your attention to the beautiful synth passages and the melodies. In the final song “Hauta-Alttari” the guitars deliver a dense atmosphere, the drums on this track drift off like a stormy avalanche. Swelling rhythms and blast beats lead by acute vocals that sound cold and raspy, the effectiveness of the lead guitars provide a dash of catchy melodies that breeze like cold frosty winds. All while the song is bounded to the sporadic drum eruption.

There’s so much talent showcased by the trio, soaring guitar solos are enhanced by blast beats against the lush backdrop of the atmospheric synth. Moonlight Sorcery managed to find the right dynamics in the debut EP. With only four tracks set up for modern Finnish black metal and the grim notions of 90s black metal fashioning their muse into the songs make them one of the promising bands to hail from the freezing forests of Finland.

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music / Songwriting 9/10
  • Vocals / Lyrics 9/10
  • Mix / Production 9/10
  • Artwork & Packaging 9/10
  • Originality 8/10
8.8

A vintage classic specimen of rawness, aggression, and sublime melodies that takes you on a journey to glistening landscapes covered in eternal frost and moonlight ushered by the talented trio.

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