The realms of black metal and dungeon synth have long ben intertwined for a number of different reasons, and it’s not often enough that we find ourselves before an effort that actually manages to properly incorporate both into a single creation that doesn’t see one greatly overpower the other. It can be a difficult balance, but there is a way so long as the act in question is willing to travel down the path to discover what’s to be had. Without a shred of compromising nor hesitation, Aranoë achieve such greatness within its first offering.

This is far from what many would consider truly experimental, especially in this corner of the underground, but it demands to be made clear that what Aranoë is by no means a by-the-numbers approach to black metal with the hand-in-hand use of something like dungeon synth immediately setting the piece apart from much of the crowd for what it dares to be and what it actually accomplishes. An atmospheric piece that never dwells in the same sonic territory for too long and knows how to capitalize at practically every given turn, Aranoë offers a constant onslaught of captivating black metal that’s just as capable of aimless meandering as it is at delivering concise material that’s direct, to the point, and never missing so much as a single moment. Evocative even in its smallest moments, the dungeon synth at play pulls its weight in heaps to make for a tremendously dark, foreboding, and almost fantastical backdrop that complements the unrelenting black metal magnificently for an overall experience that’s as immersive as it is captivating and effortless to become lost within. This is atmospheric black metal done a little differently for a spectacular breath of fresh air, and Aranoë was the prime vessel to bring this largely unheralded approach to light in excellent form.

A surprise from the darkness of the underground by all accounts, Aranoë taps into a vein of the genre that many never really seem keen to tackle in such a well thought out form that capitalizes on practically every opportunity one may have in the sound. Melodic at times but nonetheless a raw performance, this is a debut that lays forth a magnificent foundation that Aranoë can really build something wondrous out of depending on how the act carries itself in the future.

LISTEN to “Aranoë” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Aranoë on Instagram here.