For those of us in the north, October is filled with a grim splendor. Leaves burst into a colorful last rite before the deathly silence of winter, darkness devours hours of evening sunshine, and a haunting chill begins to linger in the air. The oncoming freeze triggers a mania of final celebrations before surrendering to the darkness.
On the cusp of this last dance we receive the new revelation from Monograf, appropriately entitled Occultation. Weaving a haunted web across black metal, post-metal, and Scandinavian folk, the album is the soundtrack to our autumnal final rites.
The opening track, “The Prophet” juxtaposes traditional instruments like the nykkelharpa and fiddle against cutting metal riffs. The fiddle and melancholic folk vocals add a soft warmth to the onslaught of harsh howls and swelling riffs, invoking the small but determined flicker of a campfire on a dark forest night. Just like the endless battle between light and dark, folk and metal are locked in an endless dance that’s equal parts hope and despair. Even as winter takes hold and long, cold nights beckon, the final rites mark a desperate plea and determination to survive.
Occultation will be released on November 14th. Follow the band on Bandcamp for updates and new music.
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