At least a handful of times in any given year are we given a piece of black metal that pulls from the more epic, folk-oriented reaches of the sound that manages to shatter expectations and deliver a performance on a scale that leaves nothing but shivers ripping down the spine. For some of us, the names of Downfall of Nur, Cân Bardd, and Dwarrowdelf are of the first that come to mind whenever the style comes to mind. Dwarrowdelf already came around with its own opus this year to set the bar incredibly high for the sound, and I figured it was going to be quite some time before we saw something that could go toe-to-toe with that performance. Leaving nothing to chance and crafting an absolutely tear-inducing tapestry of black metal majesty, Belore’s third full-length album is the performance that I simply could not have anticipated.

We’ve seen the rise of bands like Belore in recent years as we sit here waiting in hope for the eventual return of bands like Downfall of Nur and Caladan Brood with few able to reach the heights and standards those acts set years ago. Belore has been on the rise since its debut album four years ago, and it’s only here with its third album that Belore cements itself as just such a name that is capable of bringing nothing but extreme glory and splendor to that very reputation. Every given bit of “Eastern Tales” is carefully woven into a truly gorgeous epic that spares no expense and throws the listener into a fantasy realm that’s so rich in detail and categorically spell-binding just to look upon. Where others in this sound might only succeed in grasping at the mere notion of an expansive scope, Belore achieves it virtually without breaking a single sweat. Still more than able to bring forward an intense brand of black metal that interlocks beautifully with the wondrous stories that enrich “Eastern Tales” to become a massive work that is nothing underestimate, undermine, or deny for all that it brings to the table. Be it from the flutes or the atmospheres that you fall for, the craftsmanship of “Eastern Tales” is something that is well and truly tear-inducing.

We just don’t get an album like this often and I just don’t see anyone coming around to top what Belore has done here. Anyone that would do so have to put forth a truly awesome performance, and it’s even then that Belore will be hailed for setting the bar so wildly high. “Eastern Tales” is likely the epic black metal album of the year, and no matter what happens next, the record demands to be hailed as a real achievement of the genre that should not be forgotten whatsoever. To do so would be to spit in the very face of true excellence.

“Eastern Tales” releases on April 5th via Northern Silence Productions!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Eastern Tales” on Bandcamp here or via YouTube below.

LIKE Belore on Facebook here.