For the longest time, many corners of black metal have been intertwined with virtually every concept of nature and all that it embodies from glorious chaos to unparalleled serenity disrupted by the very existence of humankind, and it’s been since the first iteration of such a theme that thousands have done their best to bring further justice to it. In no small way, it’s been done thousands of times over to acclaim year after year with it often being the case in which that kind of black metal becomes hailed as some of the best from that year’s offerings. When Olhava came upon the scene with their eponymous creation three years ago, I don’t think any of us could’ve guessed as to the beast that the act would evolve into in virtually no time at all. And it’s even with their fifth offering since that fateful first, this duo doesn’t show any sign of becoming a disappointment anytime soon.

A simple switching of themes can really make for a dramatically different experience even if the approach is still quite the same in many aspects. Olhava has always done their best to great effect to show the many different sides that man and nature have with each other as it’s far more than simply parasitic even by nihilistic standards, and it’s with the four tracks and 79-minute runtime of “Reborn” that we see the band take a darker turn. Taking the perspective of a man who forgot his roots and ignored the primordial glory that brought him to life in the first place, leading him to destroy the only home he has ever known, and thus himself, there’s true power in the very atmospheres, lulls, power, and howls that adorn any given minute of “Reborn” in such magnificent fashion that I would be utterly floored if I were to find out this wasn’t considered an album of the year contender for many. Not only is it another powerful offering from a band that has nothing more to prove in ways of their quality or talent, but it’s also every given facet of this album that shows us precisely how to do black metal that immerses itself right in the deepest of forests where it needs never to leave again – why would you? To turn your back on the very realm that gave birth to you is to betray a primitive, integral piece of what makes us who we are, so why not rejoice in what brought us forth while we still have the time to love it for all that it is before it moves beyond us as it has many others?

The unstoppable force of nature and the supreme tragedy of its destruction is something that throngs of bands have done their best to try and bring to life in detail that could be put even close to what’s been achieved here, but it’s every second of this creation that cements the truth even more into our brains: Olhava is another caliber of excellence altogether. There is virtually nothing wrong that you can do once your surrender yourself to all that “Reborn” has to offer, and I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to emerge back into our current reality.

LISTEN to “Reborn” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Olhava on Facebook here.