ALBUM REVIEW: Vegard – Bewitched By Moonlight Rituals

After capturing the attention of their debut album, VEGARD are back with a second full length offering of raw and ambient Black Metal filled with mystery from England. Out now via Death Kvlt Productions and Legions Ov Darkness Records.

Ambient soundscapes and glistening synths set off on a mystical yet minimalist journey, with stunning guitars and drums build in over epic orchestration, met with some piercingly howled vocals. Immediately this record is clearly cohesive as a follow-up to “Call From The Forest” which was a fantastic debut. Rather melancholy, the hypnotising atmospherics enshroud you with cold and yet melodically pleasant Black Metal that will certainly appeal to fans of Summoning, Lustre and Elderwind. With so many dense layers of expansive and beautiful ambience entwined with primal riffs and slow tempo drum beats, there is a magnificently approachable yet still raw style to the music, much like on the previous release which is certainly well tailored to the projects style.

Drearily soaring through passages of slow-burning esoteric folkiness, there is clearly a strong influence of Paganism in Vegard’s sound, more akin to a fireside folk-tale than a Black Metal album in many parts, though of course we do hear plenty of the latter too. There is additionally a supremely cathartic feel to the repetition in the music that truly is chilling throughout the record. The dancing melodies are somewhat reminiscent of the Finnish Black Metal sound while Vegard give a more Dungeon Synth heavy take on this style, dwelling in a mysterious forest of Pagan secrets, delving further into the mysteries of the project. This record is a stunning and brilliant one that follows its predecessor beautifully, hopefully leaving room for a third chapter to come.

Vegard may not be as punishing or extreme as most Black Metal, but the atmospheric side of things is utterly fantastic, truly astonishing in some parts while retaining a very simplistic approach to many of the elements which are so densely layered it is easy to be lost in these ancient soundscapes. Admittedly the sound is more driven by the synths than it is guitars or drums, however these are all tied together rather splendidly with the vocals acting more in the fashion of an additional instrument with their cold drawn out screams. Definitely worth a listen if you prefer Black Metal on the more ambient, atmospheric or symphonic side of things as this is a beautifully put together piece of medieval excellence. -8/10