Arbor – Between Moonshadows… Our Spirit’s Veil… [EP]

One of those alluring new names of contemporary Black Metal is the much praised Arbor from the USA. With a handful of great demos and the 2023-released debut album the one-man act proved to be indeed a force to be reckoned with: it blends together almost all genre-defining cornerstones together into a authentic and naturally flowing piece of bleak art. Of the five previously released demos I particularly enjoyed the last one, ‘In Starless Night… We Follow A River Of Blood’, that could be found somewhere in the middle of Judas Iscariot and Moonblood, great memorable riffs and chilling melodies. This latest EP, issued on a 7”, shows a slight shift in sound…

While there is not really a whole lot different on this EP from the Arbor-formula as presented on the previously released demo and full-length album, for the careful listener something has slightly changed. Or better, it feels Arbor is in the process of slightly shifting the emphasis of the music to a more haunting atmosphere. The rawness of the overall production has actually increased together with a more prominent role for keyboards. So, while the music is still very much riff-based and predominantly fast, the moody, humming keyboards start to play an important role in how the music is experienced.

There is still a lot left of the basics of late 90’s and early 00’s Black Metal, but for sure it sounds a bit mellower and smoother than ever before – in a good sense. Especially on ‘Our Spirit’s Veil…’ on the B-side is a great example of a more dreamlike sort of Black Metal, without really losing any of its intensity. Mainly due to a lower pace and an even more conspicuous role for the keyboards, this song could so very well be a window from which to look at Arbor’s musical future.

Just as with all Arbor’s previously released material, this 7” EP sold out right upon release, that says something not only about the still unrelenting popularity of the genre, but also about the quality of this band. Judging from the fact that nothing from Arbor is available for more than a few hours, you would think it would not be a silly idea to make it available again for those who have missed out on it initially.