ALBUM REVIEW: Valiant – Ancestral Origins

Here I review another new band to me, VALIANT with their brand of Atmospheric Black Metal!

1. In the Beginning opens the album with atmosphere and an epic medieval feel, something that instantly will appeal to fans of bands such as Caladan Brood, Summoning and such bands. It is a long piece of atmospheric, folky, beautifully orchestrated ambient Black Metal. The production is slightly more raw than some other similar bands but this solo project is pretty underground, the mixing is good taking the multi-faceted layering and composition utilising the standard Black Metal atmosphere with so much sampling/keys. A really great beginning.
2. Earthbound continues the album with more melodic strings and beautiful synthesises orchestration, the light, epic feel of this music is captured perfectly. It’s harsh but not in a harsh way, which may seem oxymoronic but it really is the case. The whole epic/fantasy Black Metal genre which seems to have been doing very well for the last 2-3 years is something I really have loved from Eldamar and Lustre to Caladan Brood and of course the originals like Summoning. This song is a perfect continuation of this great subgenera.
3. Majestic Legend has a faded in introduction with once again a very folk influenced feel to it. The atmosphere is strong and the female vocal synths sound really nice. The vocals are haunting and the music just has such amazing depth. The synth strings sound gorgeous and all of the various tracks blend into one, very beautifully, creating a grandly tranquil ceremonial feel, with a gorgeous feeling of immersion.
4. Ceremonial Sanctum has a more ambient feel but of course keeps within the medieval touches and epic synth vocals. This interlude adds atmosphere and a nice break to the otherwise much more folk-infused music.
5. Ancestral Temple opens with almost fantasy video game sounding synths, it creates are really battle-ready atmosphere. The simplistic and melodic nature of the instruments come together perfectly. The waves of peaceful yet melancholic Black Metal flow with strength and precision. The whole song has a tense but also calming feel.
6. Spectral Echoes comes in with a dark but glorious atmosphere, a much more Lustre feel to this song. The screams are nail biting and the guitars sombre, the sheer melancholy of this song is done wonderfully and adds a certain darker element into the album, then going back into the more grandiose soundscapes.
7. Beyond Temptations gives us wave upon wave more of the beautiful transcending music of Valiant. At this point the album has been a really smooth listen and flowed perfectly together, this song being no exception. It has a slower tempo but all the elements are still there. This track is the most enjoyable to me thus far with there being many nuances that I am sure grow the more times you listen to it.
8. Everlasting is a gorgeous synth filled masterpiece. The smooth flow of the song with its more upbeat rhythm has wonderful continuity. Amazing work!
9. The Origins of Valiance closes the albums original material with peace, grace and more tranquility but also guitar riffs that feel much more old school Black Metal, a really interesting mix. The flow and closure of this song is beautiful and the execution fantastic.  The epic fantasy feeling is done marvellously.

10. Green Worlds (Lustre Cover) is an interesting ending piece as I am a long term fan of Lustre and love this track. The cover itself is done really well, and while being precise is also original in the varied samples. A much rawer cover, it is certainly interesting to see another musician perform this piece.

Overall what you get here is over an hour of epic, ambient and super atmospheric Black Metal (for fans of Lustre, Eldamar, Summoning and Caladan Brood), an excellent new release to the bands discography and something I am certainly happy I found! -8/10