There are some things that just work, and then sometimes there are those that take these things to levels so high that one cannot help but be left stunned in response. There have likely been thousands of instances, maybe even tens of thousands, where black metal has directly pulled from the rich world that Tolkien crafted all those decades ago with his influence still something that has an undeniable chokehold on the genre at large. There have been tons upon tons of excellent works that have come about from that line, yet it’s only every so often that we get a creation that doesn’t just take things to the next level but leave us wondering how we’ve gone so long without such a transformative stroke of genius. Seventeen years since their last offering, Anfauglir achieves what extremely few others can.

I stand by my decision to tag this creation as symphonic black metal, but I implore you to understand that what Anfauglir concocted for this release is far more than what those three simple words could ever hope to encapsulate. The story of “Akallabêth” alone is something that demands only the finest attention to detail in order to be done right; the rise and fall of an ancient race of Man over the course of thousands of years with a demise as dramatic and sorrowful as it is epic and compelling. On top of all of that, it demands to be made crystal clear that Anfauglir went out of their way to not just make their comeback effort something that’s a real feast for senses but redefines what symphonic black metal can be. Not so much as a single punch was pulled in the making of “Akallabêth” nor was any stone left unturned. Sprawling in its overwhelming scope and downright intoxicating for all the nuance and splendor that’s to be had across virtually every given inch of this deeply layered performance, what Anfauglir has accomplished here simply must be hailed as some of the absolute finest work of metal pulling from Tolkien in recent times with any possible minute of the creation speaking for itself time after time. This is a creation overloaded with imagery, mastery, and undeniable prowess of the craft.

Where many others have sought to do this rich world justice in many different styles of black metal, Anfauglir stands monolithically tall amongst the competition without so much a shadow of a doubt to be had when it comes to their overwhelming power. Singularly gorgeous and all-powerful such that I know damn well my words can barely do such magnificence justice, this is something you really have to see to be believed. “Akallabêth” towers over all at every given turn. No compromise. No shortcuts. Nothing but raw, unfettered, and unbound mastery for an over-hour-long performance that’s damn near tear-inducing in its magnitude.

LISTEN to “Akallabêth” on YouTube here.

PURCHASE “Akallabêth” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Anfauglir on Instagram here.