It tends to be that whenever we’re dealing in a band that’s firmly entrenched within the realm of atmospheric black, little to no inspiration from outside styles are incorporated to make the proceeding music multi-dimensional or even interesting in more than a few instances. Thus, when a band comes around that manages to do something even slightly different, it can make for a sound that feels incredibly fresh and engaging. For its first full-length album, Cistvaen sought to bring a little bit of doom to their brand of atmospheric black metal, and the results are simply spectacular.

Already is it one thing to bring some sort of flavor and intrigue to the world of atmospheric black metal given all that the sound has been through and over-saturation that can easily be considered within the sound, but where there is passion paired with persistence then there is surely a way forward into glory. When such a name comes around, they must be heralded for all that they can be. Effortlessly, Cistvaen is a name that demands to be considered as such an act. For all that’s thrown down within the nearly hour-long performance that is “At Light’s Demise”, Cistvaen does not miss an opportunity to show us what they can already accomplish at this stage in their run. While maintaining an undeniably focus on the atmospheric black metal core that remains a massive constant throughout the whole of the record, it’s through the skillful infusion of doom metal that “At Light’s Demise” takes on a new form with its slower and gloomy overtones serving to only enhance the excellence with which Cistvaen likely could’ve still brought forth without the infusion of another style. Carried by dark melodies that bring with them tremendous flavor and grandeur even as Cistvaen shows itself to be more than competent at practically every turn at moments of calm, bouts of despair, marathons of darkness, and everything that could be wrought underneath cloudy skies, across fog-wreathed lakes, and cloaked within the thickest of shadows.

This is what happens when atmospheric black metal is approached with a mindset that is determined to not only avoid becoming another name lost to deep time within a style like this, but one that is bent on making their craft something that the listener can truly lose themselves in time and time again. More than enough tact at every turn and with the delivery to match such an ambition, “At Light’s Demise” is something that Cistvaen should find itself incredibly proud of.

“At Light’s Demise” releases on April 5th!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “At Light’s Demise” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Cistvaen on Facebook here.