A new one-man project from Argentina, Altar Nocturno, takes us to the land of night and mountains with castles atop. 'Solitude of Eternal Night' is the debut release from the act, offering 23+ minutes of arcane nocturnal action. Get ready for some immersive gothic black metal... I cannot put "mayhem" here... Well, "tranquillity" does fit much better.

Starting with the sound of rain and gloomy, big keyboards before inviting melody carpet comes in, the pathway to this nocturnal vision is gallant. Its reverbing timpanums and gongs can make one think about Summoning, yes, as does the natural and eerie start for 'Beyond Spectral Woodland'. Tremolo riffing, blast beating and orc-vocalization are introduced, making it somewhat different from the Middle-Earths... I mean Austrian atmospheric black metal lords' work ethics.

The songs are longish, and include several parts where the artist was able to traverse. Mid-paced trot accompanies blast beats. Sometimes (mostly on the opener) the guitar weaves magickal melodies together with the keyboards, but often it is used more like a rhythm instrument, and the keyboards take the lead. Without any lyrics, these sonic adventures are left somewhat labyrinthine and tenuous as a listener wonders where one is led to and why. Do not get me wrong, as it is easy to go on with the flow when listening to this, but some twists in these tales are left in the dark. Some elements bring in gothic moods. This does not carry any aggressive vibes, but is more like an arcane and beautiful journey into the night.

Big echoing makes it a tad hard to hear every element in the music well. The keyboards are a bit too loud in the mix, compared to the guitars. Big carpet sounds, tinklings, harpsicord and flute sounds are used to create absolutely timeless atmosphere. The drums are acoustic, with crackling cymbals, but the snare on kick drums are the most quiet element in the mix. The orcish vocals do sound inhuman, but there is some low "vampiric" narration kind of voice and male choir parts.

Nothing new here, but still a nice presentation of a new atmospheric black metal artist. A worthy experience for those who dream of lands lost. Altar Nocturno is a creation of Ildrac, a human male who operates in Ancient Gate and Spectral Lights, too.

Rating: 7 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
02/15/2024 18:45