Some excursions into Atmospheric Black Metal

It is easy to understand the maligned reputation of the “atmospheric” epithet in black metal (or metal and music at large), first given the low bar of quality established by most bands working under that descriptive, and secondly because the subgenre’s characteristics can easily serve as an excuse for all sorts of defects that plague music creation, from the inability to articulate themes to the simple dearth of ideas that is nonetheless unable to placate the impulse of creating and releasing something. This article seeks to highlight a few cases where the qualities usually attributed to atmospheric black metal are a genuine reflection of the artist’s worthy aims.

Blut Aus Nord – Ultima Thulée (1995)

French band Blut Aus Nord set out to expand the black metal template, musically and thematically, in one of the specific directions laid out by the Norwegian bands, namely, the most faithful musical rendition of the glacial recesses of the cosmos, at points almost resembling what could have happened if Enslaved cast aside the epic ambitions and channelled all their efforts into the creation of atmosphere. Like Samoth’s guitar on “In the Nightside Eclipse”, the rhythm guitar throughout the album is likewise used to create the effect of an oppressively thick, impenetrable ice bedrock on top of which the other guitar comes to draw more melodic (sometimes relatively pleasing) riffs. As expected, the songwriting doesn’t aim for the extremely adventurous, but there is nonetheless a noticeable care gone into fleshing out the dynamics of the songs beyond the statement of a given hypnotic theme, as seen in the transitions using a single guitar, giving the impression of cutting off the momentum to give way to something crucial, and the joining of simple synths, sometimes to an almost soothing, oneiric effect. On this point, it should also be noted that some of the synth lines deployed on the album are distant from what bands in this genre usually opt for; it suffices to say that if the listener were presented with the album’s penultimate track without any context, his impression would probably be closer to “Berlin School experiment in Antarctica” than what he associates with the typical black metal side project. The lyrics align with the core of the music through their intense and perennial longing, seemingly only lenified by the distant vision of Hyperborea, and the longing for transcendence, displaying the band’s essential thematic disposition that further works retained and refined. The next album already reveals a vastly expanded technical vocabulary, with tasteful lead guitar, Bathory influences and proud excursions into the epic format. The spirit of experimentation would remain with the band, which would later inaugurate a phase marked by the copious incorporation of industrial and avant-garde elements.

Paysage d’Hiver – Paysage d’Hiver (1999)

Paysage d’Hiver is rightfully regarded as a prime exponent of this subgenre as their career often appears to aspire to the extreme consummation of its premise. This approach is not restricted to the compositional method or (admittedly stretched) song length but also extends to the so-called “raw” production, with the distortion frequently threatening to drown all instruments into a droning mass. This ends up creating a specific form of immersion, as the music is perceived as a single thick stream of sound from which it is nonetheless possible to discern a melodic direction. By the time the first track approaches a midway interlude, the relentlessly repetitive and unvarying buzz of the drums and rhythmic guitars has become an almost subliminally constant presence, similar to how the sand dunes appear infinite and unceasing to the traveller lost in the desert. Thus, when even a small modification appears, faint like a mirage, it carries the weight of a seismic shift under which the entire song is revealed in a new light, despite the lack of any special care to highlight said development in the mix, be it an emerging synth line or arpeggiated guitar melody timidly gliding over the ice-storm of noise. For instance, the violin melodies that elegantly break through the first track at two different moments contribute with a sense of majestic melancholy that could have easily sounded inappropriate if attempted by a band of less intuition. Once these flourishes run their course, their ultimately phenomenal and ephemeral nature is harshly but unceremoniously made apparent by the return to the arid background from which they arose. The languid and desolate environment that the band summons with conviction is thus surprisingly deepened by such choices, as well as the changes in pace (like in the second track’s unexpected coda) or the melodic contributions of the keyboards that grant the music a sense of fulfilment that rises above their simplicity. This is one of those albums where all the elements tend towards a unity of expression, not due to the sameness that inevitably accompanies a lack of means, but by the thematic congruity by which all parts are revealed as different shades of the same looming desolation. This results in an admirably defined and lingering mood that is likely to remain with the listener long after experiencing it.

Drudkh – Autumn Aurora (2004)

Drudkh is often seen as one of the main representatives of a batch of atmospheric black metal bands from Ukraine tied together by their adherence to long and contemplative song formats and the obsession with roots and the mystical connection with the land, a fixation they derive from the very origins of black metal. Despite the expectations naturally instilled by this type of music and its presentation (the artwork being a good indicative of the sound), what we find here are songs of a surprising conviction, thus what we could call passionate sonic still lifes conjured by Drudkh’s knack for catchy riffs and occasional leads that lend an aura varying between warmth, melancholy and triumph, in keeping with the folkloric and nature-worshipping themes. While the songs are by no means economical, there is an increased concision in comparison to the preceding album and, more importantly, a greater care to develop them even if the framework is still “minimalistic”. The third track, for example, features a truly beautiful and tragic synth theme; as the melody descends, the guitars switch for a lower power chord to accompany the agitation of the drums, these simple but effective dynamics perfectly displaying the band’s expressive potential. However, this section also brings with it the stench of an intro, leading the more narrative-minded listener to expect a sort of development that sets off a chain of different sections. Instead, the band opts for this theme to carry the whole song, and in this reinstates their essential modus operandi, virtually unchanged throughout their discography, as well as the goal of producing an impression more than a story. The quality ultimately lies on the strength of the sonic photograph, which Drudkh assures through the passionate vividness of their melodies and songs. With this in mind, we shouldn’t hesitate in regarding this as one of the most successful works from the abovementioned movement that developed in Ukraine in the late ‘90s.