The fallen one, LANGENNEET, rose again with their second album “Aionin soihtu,” which was released on September 29th, 2021. An occult black metal band who have dedicated their work to the mythology of fallen angels and symbolism around it, this time LANGENNEET‘s album theme focuses on the dominions, virtues, and powers of the second sphere, continuing the theme from the first album, which focused on the first sphere of fallen angels. The soundscape of LANGENNEET is a black, death, thrash, heavy, and doom blend of metal, with a combination of influences that descend from the dark underground of metal tradition.
The musical craftsmanship from a single person shows how much passion someone can have to create something like this. The rhythms are very fast and the chord progressions typically have half-step movements, creating a dramatic effect. The blast of power and rage with the cymbal choke style drumming is complimented by screams and beastly growls. There is also very fast and raw high-gain guitar playing, with a great amount of tremolo picking, while dark sounding melodies are also added into some of the guitar riffing. The music seems quite influenced by the ’90s era; when guitar solos and leads are utilized, they are also done in a very dark-yet-melodic style, along with the songs also mixing in some elements of death, doom, thrash, and traditional metal. Furthermore, the production is done so well that you can hear every instrument present on the recording. The songs also include ritualistic chants that can be heard on a couple of songs, adding some freshness. Since this relies on occult influences, chanting fits perfectly and the small amounts of synth create a pleasing background atmosphere. The overall sound is very dark, with lyrics written and sung in Finnish.
The album starts with “Liekehtivät silmät,” which is fast paced, raw sounding, typical black metal. The guitar, with its half-tone melody, creates the main dramatic feel. The song also gives the template of sound that listeners will expect from the next songs. The next track is “Tuhoutuvan maan tanssi.” This one is more dynamic and even progressive at times, but does not exclude the fast-tempo choke-style cymbals. The vocals vary with different singing styles, growing and creating the story around the music. Real tension is felt when the guitar solo hectically plays over the chords. “Aionin soihtu” starts with a metal riff that almost feels like a bluesy lick, while “Tyhjyyden rikastama tila” is a masterpiece combination of black metal and guitar playing with different rhythmic melodies giving the doomed sound some dynamics. The guitar solo is very expressive and, with the melody, tells its own story alongside the lyrics.
On “Alttari sydän,” we can hear the synth in the background, giving a mystical atmosphere to the rough, fast playing. There are a couple of twists with changing tempos and the drums create a strong base toward the end of the song. The album ends with “Kutsu liekkeihin,” which could not be a better song to bring this album full circle, as it is very dynamic, with progressive elements and precision when changing tempos, yet there is still a sense of structure as even the thrashy parts are tastefully executed.
“Aionin soihtu” is a clear album: the production was done well and every instrument and riff has its own place. Some freshness comes from the combination of synths and chanting along with progressive playing. This album gives more than just a stereotypical black occult metal collection; the main theme can be easily followed and enjoyed not only lyrically but also musically. Even for all those who don’t speak Finnish, it’s easy to feel what the artist wanted to say and express. For all the fans of occult black metal this is another great sounding album from LANGENNEET.
Written by Peter Jerman
Tracklist
- Liekehtivät silmät
- Tuhoutuvan maan tanssi
- Tie pimeimpään valoon
- Aionin soihtu
- Tyhjyyden rikastama tila
- Itsensä kruunaava voima
- Ilmestysten harmonia
- Alttari sydän
- Kaari
- Kutsu liekkeihin
Lineup
Langennut – all instruments, vocals
Label
Misantropia Records
