It seems as though the last few weeks have been quite bountiful in ways of new talent in my experience. As soon as I sit down to try and find a new creation to find myself within for any sort of a review, it’s before I know it that I’m waist-deep in an effort from a band that cannot be seen as anything short of immensely fresh. From progressive death metal to true heavy metal to instrumental sludgy doom, it feels as though damn near every corner has been covered in the underground. Every corner except folk metal, that is, which tends to be an outlier in more ways than one. Against the odds, however, Silence of the Nemeta has found its way before me in order to deliver on this trend I find myself in.

While anything related to black metal has always had a connotation of dark attitudes and themes, I think it’s safe to say that there has been quite a shift in recent years in certain circles of the sound. One may not expect black metal to be the vessel of light, hope, and beauty, but it can oftentimes be the most unexpected things that can feel the most welcome when it’s put into the right hands. Stepping into the debut EP from Silence of the Nemeta, “Where Our Coils Collide”, it’s unclear how the work would pan out given its the act’s first work across just three tracks even if it is across a nearly 37-minute runtime, but it’s through gorgeous instrumentation, more than enough cues from the atmospheric and folk realms, and a gorgeous understanding of the craft itself, Silence of the Nemeta already proves to be a mesmerizing name. Exploring themes of happiness itself and its various sources throughout our lives, it’s incredibly easy to say that this EP has hit the nail right on the head time after time. Where plenty would have a reasonable level of doubt, “Where Our Coils Collide” defies and impresses at virtually every given turn. A foundational work that holds immense promise for the very future for Silence of the Nemeta, what’s accomplished here is the sort of black metal and folk splendor that we can never have enough of.

It can be argued that we’ve seen a real influx of bands like this in the last ten or so years with plenty of different names coming around to try their hand at this craft, yet it still remains a harsh territory that does not tolerate anything less than majesty at damn near every turn. Plenty have failed to live up to those standards, but it’s here with its debut that Silence of the Nemeta defies expectations. “Where Our Coils Collide” is a magnificent launching point for whatever is to come from Silence of the Nemeta with patience being the only thing we can have in order to see a proper follow-up take shape for however long it takes.

LISTEN to “Where Our Coils Collide” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Silence of the Nemeta on Instagram here.