We traverse these lands as voyagers, onward we seek to fill the chalice that be it our souls,perhaps we long to commune with that which eludes us, to find meaning betwixt words or transcend beyond the colors of a portrait. An experience is what we yearn to glean, to communicate with our minds, to discern the dialogue of art, alien to others, but unique to the soul that converses with it…
‘Wallachian Emperor’ the debut album by the Romanian entity, Skadin accomplishes the aforementioned in its output. For within its melodies, a bridge carved from each note guides the consciousness upon this esoteric current of sound. The very fusion which permeates through this release carries with it the resonance of folk and even symphonic elements, reverberating in a similar tone to early Kampfar, Hungary’s WitcheR and even parts of Moonlight Sorcery’s debut EP. Skadin summons forth the magick of that which came before, and from this spell woven with an organic spirit,an honest and profound work of Black Metal is crafted.
A myriad of melodies present themselves throughout this aural trek, however, what makes this unique and can be classed as the crux of the album is the shape in which the guitars flow. The sounds manifested through the strings carry with it a rather dialogue-like aspect, as though the riffing is but a speech of cause and effect against each other, take for instance the track, ‘Infernal War”, the rawness of the structural riffing expelled a harmonious spirit as well as a triumphant tone to the playing. In the same breath, the percussive elements add a tangible layer to the sound, while not dominant and overpowering, instead it opts to shade the melodies, working in unison with the guitars, a feature displayed on the track, ‘Vlad Draculea’.
When eyes gaze upon the stygian lake, we look in awe at the endless wonder, but it is the celestial cluster that stipples the night sky,bringing with it a new sensation to this grand panorama. So too do the synths accentuate the musical body, for it is shimmering light casting its rippling glow upon the currents of the album. Through the listening experience, one may look upon the guitars and drums as the movements of the album, where each note, each reverberation leaves an impression into the soul of this musical structure, but it is the synths which fills these impressions, tracing its contours and in return bestowing a new layer of motion to the atmosphere.
Ambience becomes the zenith for ‘Wallachian Emperor’,whereby the cohesion of each musical facet, though they work in a singular manner, each riff, each percussive beat and synth, are woven intricately into another. However, it is the vocals which bind them into natural synthesis. ‘Fallen Echoes’ and ‘Dark Woods’ are two tracks which capture the ambience perfectly, including the vocals, which dispels a frigid texture to its register, for it is like a mist which percolates in an orphic fashion into the actual musical notes, imbedding itself into the very fabric.
Through the art which is forged through this release,a mind can cross over into a new realm void of human fragility.The sounds of Skadin summons forth beauty and tranquility akin to the soul that sits upon the rock where eyes become drunk upon the night sky, and through fixation, ethereal somber veils the soul.
