Innovation has long been a driving force throughout the underground, but it’s not always the key to success. Oftentimes, acts bite off more than what they can chew as ambition can easily overshadow one’s capacity to bring such a vision to light. In the face of such adversity, though, time can be the real difference maker. Allowing something to marinate over time and take form naturally and bake all the way through is a time-tested tactic that can yield surprising results. It’s been seven years since Smohalla last came around, yet it’s during that time the act was anything but dormant with its tantalizing second album proof of that in every form.

Given the sheer ingenuity that one can find as you traverse the underground and all that it has to offer, it’s not really much of a surprise to see bands still managing to come around and offer us new visions of heaviness only limited by the imagination of those wielding the instruments in whatever given moment. While far from the most known name, Smohalla’s reputation holds weight for all the right reasons, but it’s with this new offering, “Ruina Draconis”, that Smohalla deserves to have its name respected far and wide. A progressive approach to black metal that is not afraid to explore new avenues and attack ideas from a different angle through organic composition, this is an effort that keeps you rooted in place even long after the album has come to a close. Beautifully writhing between passages laced with electronica, and harrowing screeches into nothingness, the whole of “Ruina Draconis” is a gorgeous tapestry that is constantly folding in on itself, showcasing new layers of different, fresh visages that are nearly tear-inducing, and cues that greatly contrast with the bewildering breed of black metal to make for an overall sound that’s as unrelenting as it is adventurous. The reaches of black metal should never be underestimated given its vast capacity for all sorts of excellence, yet it’s here that Smohalla sets the bar fantastically high in such a singularly compelling form.

It was a long wait for us to hear more from Smohalla, and I would argue that it was extremely worth it. A magnificently sprawling effort that has so much to offer should you take the hand of Smohalla and traverse a writhing cosmos and allow the energies of “Ruina Draconis” to just wash over your body and soul. Engrossing and downright enrapturing, Smohalla should be exceedingly proud of what it has crafted here.

“Ruina Draconis” releases on October 3rd via I, Voidhanger Records!

LISTEN to an advanced track from Smohalla on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.

LIKE Smohalla on Facebook here.