Couple maturation in songwriting and performance and you have a sneakily fantastic record that I strongly recommend. Malist knows what it does well, and it’s a blast to hear the project double down on some of its most thoroughly excellent qualities. Overall, As I Become Darkness isn’t one of the project’s most progressive or obviously atmospheric experiences, but ends up being one of its very best. It’s a natural and welcome progression for an artist who consistently elevates their game with each subsequent record. The songwriting is also deceptively excellent, wrapping some relatively complex and multi-faceted compositions under the trappings of classic black metal, allowing for rewarding repeat listening experiences. The guitar work throughout is in particular truly splendid, blending melody, atmosphere, acoustics and blistering shredding with expert precision, showcasing some genuine growth and the performative side. After a trilogy of conceptual records that served as individual pieces to a larger conceptual whole, As I Become Darkness separates itself from its predecessors as a more concentrated version of the project’s established sound. It’s also worth noting one-person juggernaut Ovfrost’s growth as both a musician and songwriter. There’s variety aplenty throughout this record, but it never strays from its core identity: Menacing epic black metal. Acoustics ring through in the above mentioned track at the halfway point, adding a melodic and beautiful flavor to a fairly icy package, while the dark synth background that populates the middle of “March of the Defilers” perfectly tees up the absolute blast of tremolo guitar work and borderline d-beat drum work that sends the track to its harrowing conclusion. The squelching, squealing guitars of “The Death Bell” feel ripped right out of Norway circa 1994, but it’s the small flourishes in the project’s work that separate it from simple second-wave worship. With black metal taking a turn toward genre-bending in 2022 with albums from Kvaen and Gaerea providing plenty of blackened heft mixed with various outside genre stylings, it feels great to get a record that knows exactly what it is (big, epic black metal) and pushes that sound to consistently excellent places. It’s just about everything Malist fans have come to expect, and that’s a very good thing. A more straightforward homage to the second wave of black metal, the record highlights Malist at its most raw, melodic, and unforgiving. The project’s fourth full-length record, As I Become Darkness, does little to change its already stellar trajectory. Serving as one of the DIY stalwarts of Russian black metal along with bands like Swampborn, Malist has been churning out consistently excellent records at a regular clip since the project’s debut record In the Catacombs of Time dropped in 2019. Jonathan Adams Winter’s Crown Malist - As I Become DarknessĪnyone who reads this column on the regular knows I’m a pretty big fan of Malist. We’re confident you’ll find something you like. We’re on the cusp of the year-end content bonanza (as is tradition), but don’t forget to give these records a listen before you draw up your own list. But leave it to your friends at Heavy Blog to find the ice-cold gems in the mammoth piles of musical snow. New releases become more and more scarce.
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