Ladoga

• Track Listing

Although Black Metal is known for being dark, one of it's variants Atmospheric Black Metal - doesn't fit that description. The foundation of Atmospheric Black Metal is built on the guitars and keyboards working together while the vocals scream about nature to create the atmospheric effect. While Black Metal has roots in European countries and the United States, it piqued my interest when I heard about Olhava, a band hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia. Andrey Novozhilov is the artistic force behind this band. He isn't a newcomer to the scene but has been around a few years earlier as a part of the Post-Black Metal unit, Trna. Even though Olhava is 4 years old, the project has been quite busy in 2020, dropping two full-length albums this year alone. The newest of the two albums released this year is titled, "Ladoga." What's interesting is that the ambient sounds heard in "Ageless River I" is still present, but with the additions of the other instruments. This creates an even more layered creation of endless beauty. When the vocals finally make their entrance, they come in as harsh Black Metal screams. They are also put slightly in the back of the mix, which allows the screams to add more detail and are primarily used to maintain your interest. Once "Ageless River II" has finished it's a short yet sweet proposition, the track "Trembling Night" starts us on another journey. The 17-minute runtime of this track is unappealing to the mind when thinking about it, but the slower more mid-tempo pacing makes things more relaxed. The more prominent use of vocals brings more attention to the listener, which is highlighted by the atmosphere due to a lot of repetition. The song starts to ascend at the 6-minute mark, which holds the song in the air until it eventually dissolves back to it's ambient roots. Shortly after, "Ageless River III" slowly puts the listener back on Earth to catch their breath