It’s quite rare for Black Metal bands on the more atmospheric spectrum of the genre to start their releases without an intro of some sort. Erstwhile from the US are definitely one of those rarities.
The band has matured significantly since their Lord Byron-inspired ‘Rapture in the Pathless Woods’ demo, and that maturity clearly shows on ‘Ancient Steel’, their latest stand-alone EP. It begins without unnecessary frills, treating listeners with riff after riff as the well-structured songs carry one through an aura of what I can best describe as “epic longing.” None of the tracks drag out more than they should and everything blends together seamlessly, complimented by the low-fi yet warm production. The band keeps the continuity of mid-paced, atmospheric Black Metal and feeds it to us delightfully on ‘Ancient Steel.’ If there’s anything negative I can say about this release, it’s that it’s too short for so good an EP. It could have included at least one song, because when the last one ends, you definitely want to hear more.
This is a band that is going to go onwards and upwards from here, as this progression is clearly evident in their discography. Judging by the members’ other projects, I can clearly see that they have their minds set on a specific sound and will perfect that in upcoming releases.
