With every year that goes by with doing these reviews, there are very few things that are almost if not very certain. It’s each new year that I’m sure to get a fuck ton of awesomeness from new and old bands alike, have an absolute boatload of fun amongst it all, be astounded by something I never saw coming, and chances are that there will be even more new Veldes to impress us all. We are now entering the seventh year after the release of Veldes’ debut with each year being graced with new material, and this year has already been blessed by Veldes as this mastermind delivers nothing short of top-tier black metal for the seventh time in a row.

Everyone has a band that they feel such that every single album the band in question has ever put out is an absolute gold mine of its own, and it’s with me that Veldes is that exact kind of band as I have yet to find a single reason to not like this Slovenian powerhouse of atmospheric black metal and it is “Flameless” that only furthers that trend in all of its glowing excellence. It’s with every release that we are given something similar, but it’s never the exact same product twice as Veldes has mastered the unique and strenuous craft of retaining the same core sound without allowing that to restrain him from branching out to create something new, and “Flameless” is yet another glorious testament to that. It’s with these flavorful five tracks that we are taken through that classic-feeling, icy black metal instrumentation as Veldes brings into effects brilliant keys and yet more beautiful atmosphere that ties together pristinely with the surrounding metal to where “Flameless” feels like the most complete and whole album that Veldes has ever thrown down. Having heard every Veldes release from the past five years and drowning myself in everything they have to offer, it’s clear with this one more than any other that Veldes is growing into something more and more with every successful piece, and it’s “Flameless” that takes the crown thus far. With it’s soaring melodies masked in a fantastic atmosphere, gorgeous use of keys to bring a real ethereal flavor to the mix, and vocals that are always top, there’s very little to not laud with “Flameless”.

It’s so incredibly easy for any band of any kind to lose themselves in creating too much material in too short of a time to allow for that creative drive to return to ensure quality, but sometimes it seems as though some acts aren’t phased by such concepts as they appear immune to such a mundane thought, and Veldes is clearly one of them. I’ve always stuck to the grand quality of Veldes throughout every year as it’s a sure gift of black metal that I’m sure to enjoy, and “Flameless” feels like a reward for sticking around as it’s got just about everything a fan of both the band and the style could ask for.

LISTEN to “Flameless” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Veldes on Facebook here.