Change is inevitable, but what form it comes in is what we can never truly guess. We may be able to guess as to the direction with the degree of such change something that we’re not ultimately able to really put a finger on, and that’s always thrilling if you ask me. The wonder of simply not knowing what’s about to happen is a big part of what keeps me coming back to many bands. When it came to Veldes, the act was quite consistent with its take on atmospheric black metal quite interesting since I first discovered the band with each subsequent album building off what came before while still keeping the core values. After ten years, though, the man behind the name knew a change was in order as the bleak night that Veldes called home was coming to an end with the dawning of the Ueldes with a new mentality and approach that’s just as invigorating for listeners new and old as it is for the man who crafted it all.

All it takes is the mere flip of a switch somewhere in the confines of the human mind for one’s view on many things to change completely, but the circumstances of such a change vary wildly from one person to the next based on experiences and raw mentality. For the ten years it had been around, the music of Veldes was firmly in the stylistic themes of atmospheric black metal with concepts of sorrow found easily within its atmospheres whilst occasionally having some element of hopefulness, beauty, and wonder of a kind that we’ve been slowly seeing more of in the style. Recently, though, a chapter has ended with another beginning in earnest. Having an epiphany of his own and wanting his music to reflect that, the very name of Veldes has been put to rest with another being rising like the phoenix to carry the torch: Ueldes. A beast that still very much carries the same sound as what its predecessor managed, the first album under the new name, “Foreverer”, shows us that this transformation is something that is not to be taken lightly nor anything that is half-hearted in any form. There is real light and wonder in these six tracks with Ueldes instantly making its presence known for what it is in itself rather than leaning on the reputation of its previous form. This is the sort of transition and transformation that many would love to undertake in the world of atmospheric black metal where we’re seeing different takes on the well-defined sound every so often, and it’s only fitting that a musician as well-established and clearly talented as this would be able to pull off a change like this in exemplary form.

You can still feel the cold breeze against your skin and the howl of the North itself in this album, but there’s also more than enough room for warmth and wonder that makes “Foreverer” a record that is not to be missed should you not let what has come before prevent you from what’s happening now. While the demise of Veldes is something that I do not enjoy, the rising of Ueldes is a privilege given what glory we’re given with this record with it showing us right out of the gate that this is a powerful transition not to be taken lightly.

LISTEN to “Foreverer” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Ueldes on Facebook here.