Crown of Asteria is an atmospheric black metal band from Bancroft, Michigan. What really makes this band stand out from the crowd is that all the music is made by a single woman named Meghan Wood. But is her music good? That's what really matters. Let's find out, shall we?
The first song, “Black Feathers and Sage”, consists of bird calls and the low chiming of a bell, as well as a low humming sound. It sounds rather dark, but the rest of the music sounds much brighter. The second song, “Among the Great White Pines”, consists of really atmospheric clean guitars that eventually transition into equally atmospheric electric guitars. Their tone is downright beautiful. It has this transcendent vibe to it, and their sound sort of reminds me of Njiqahdda. The guitars just have this great soul to them that most other black metal bands just seem to lack.
The third song, “Through the Birch and Beyond the Lakes”, is when the actual black metal riffs show up. This song features lots of rapid tremolo picking, and even though Meghan is from Michigan, the riffs she plays have a sound that can best be described as Cascadian. These riffs focus less on unleashing hell and more on building a wondrous atmosphere, as though you're walking through the untouched beauty of nature.
These riffs last a long time, and it's not until the halfway point that we hear the drums. Since this is a one-woman band, the drums are programmed, but they're programmed quite well. They mainly focus on playing simple mid-paced beats and don't distract from the majesty of the guitars. There are no vocals on this album. Instead, Meghan lets her instruments do the talking for her. I think she did the right thing, as the inclusion of vocals would only distract from the beautiful instrumental work.
The rest of the album is like this. It features lots of atmospheric tremolo riffs. The drums mainly keep the beat, but the music is still amazing nonetheless. There are also moments where she plays some acoustic guitars that offer a nice change of pace. Crown of Asteria has crafted atmospheric black metal that is simple yet beautiful. North is one of those albums where you push play, sit back, and bask in the beauty. If you would like to experience this majesty for yourself, you can download this album for free from Crown of Asteria's Bandcamp page.
0 comments:
Post a Comment