Ringarë – Of Momentous Endless Night

The story of Ringarë began all the way back in 2004 when this US-based Black Metal band recorded two demos in the following years but eventually more or less evolved into a new entity that was given the name of Chaos Moon. Under this new moniker the band released several albums, of which especially the last one, ‘Eschaton Mémoire’ from 2017, struck me most. Yet, for one reason or another, Ringarë was reinstated one year after that last Chaos Moon effort. Musically both bands pretty much follow the same evolutionary path when it comes to their musical course.

Although not entirely the same, Ringarë’s first album, released by Iron Bonehead Productions in 2019, feels like a logical step after ‘Eschaton Mémoire’. The band continued to explore the world of Atmospheric Black Metal with a distinct raw edge on the two subsequent demos, of which the second was also released by Iron Bonehead Productions on a 12” EP. The band showed a progression that was clearly leaning to a gradually less raw character, something that seemed to be cemented more permanently with the band’s second album that was released by Amor Fati. ‘Thrall Of Winter’s Majesty’ continued the band’s cold and wintery Black Metal, but showcased a far more clean sound with an evidently shifted emphasis on the atmosphere.

It is in this very evolving cycle that we find Ringarë’s newest album, ‘Of Momentous Endless Night’, again released through a different label. The revered Avantgarde Music signed up for the release of this third album, and this cooperation actually is quite telling about the music on offer. Like many a band on the Avantgarde Music roster, Ringarë is finding itself in a moody and thoroughly atmospheric Black Metal stomping ground.

The raw edge that marked the earlier steps of the band is almost completely traded for a keyboard-driven melodic and overall ambiental sound. With this Ringarë moved into the same direction as what we could call the Swartadauþuz-corner of the current Black Metal landscape. Fast rattling drums, high screeching vocals and an overall lack of evident guitars is what characterizes Ringarë anno 2023, creeping closely up to bands like Bekëth Nexëhmü or Evilfeast, yet with a meticulously balanced and way more accessible sound.

This leads to some easy-listening Black Metal that still is able to captivate a certain mystique. The question yet is whether this is a musical direction that is up to your personal alley, as I can imagine that as time progresses the sound of the band will even further develop into smooth and almost soothing territories. For now this seems just to work, but I am afraid that the rather plastic and meatless sound cannot be stretched much further without losing their memento. Let’s see what the future will bring for Ringarë.