Ever since I came into the world of metal, the sheer spread of its glory has never been anything less than utterly fascinating to me. My discovery of the Asian metal scene at large still continues to amaze me every time I find myself within its depths be it in the depths of the Indian scene or that of the Taiwanese, Indonesian, Japanese, or even Mongolian. There’s never a boring moment nor is it long before coming upon some largely unheralded act in the different corners of the Asian scene with incredibly few managing to poke their heads out and gain recognition in many different parts of the world. Laang has become one of the more well-known of such acts in recent years with the execution of black metal with choice elements from post-metal, and it has to be with this brand new effort that Laang has reached an all-new high.

Driven by his traumatic experience in a comatose state after a tragic accident, this is black metal that has long been evocative, haunting, and no less than viciously potent right from the beginning. Having been delivering excellence of this sort for five years now, Laang has come a tremendously long way in its particular craft with a significant rise in quality one of the most obvious factors of such a journey. It was just two years ago that we had received Laang’s second full-length album, but it is here with its third, “Riluo”, that Laang has almost certifiably attained a peak that cannot be denied, nor can its ramifications be ignored. Transforming many of the aspects of its more atmospheric tendencies into something more akin to post-metal, the sharp-as-ever black metal of Laang feels so much more mature and engaging even after already being quite an intimidating presence in earlier material. The riffs, personal trauma, and precise execution all coming together to make for a perfect storm that many who aren’t already familiar with Laang will be quite shocked to experience to the point that even I find myself surprised to see “Riluo” achieve such heights in such a short time. Very quickly, Laang has made itself one of the undeniable names to known in the Taiwanese scene. We’ve seen in multiple instances just how competent and powerful the band has been over the years, but it is single-handedly with “Riluo” that virtually any and all expectations have been blown sky-high.

Albums such as this from bands on a caliber like Laang are why the Asian scene has long been an underrated haven for greatness and why I still find myself utterly enamored with it. Across the entire world can we see quality and power come together to make for some truly bombastic metal in ways that keep us fascinated for years upon years with the Asian underground far more than worthy to share in that glory. Laang has been at the forefront of such grandeur for some time now, yet it is somehow single-handedly with “Riluo” that we see another side to Laang that feels as much as a step forward for the act as much feels like something else altogether in the best way possible.

LISTEN to “Riluo” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Laang on Facebook here.