Prolific underground Black Metal musician and all around weirdo Menetekel has his irons in many fires. Dakhma, Ungfell, Ateiggär, and Kvelgeyst are just some of his projects, each Black Metal or Blackened Death Metal. Then there’s Wyrgher. Menetekel’s newest project, which originally started as Raw Black Metal, has completely shifted form into a Dissonant Black/Death Metal entity that abandons the folky stylings of Ungfell and Ateiggär for a more cosmic theme. The biggest question, though, is whether this release is worth your time.
Mastered by Greg Chandler (of many projects and mastering jobs), the production quality on this album is fantastic. This is highlighted in songs such as “The Weeping of a Blazing Rock”, “Destroyer of the Promethean Path”, and “Supreme Leader of a Dying Star”. While retaining its own clear identity, this project still manages to sneak in subtle nods to Ungfell/Ateiggär songwriting, especially in “Weeping…” which gets surprisingly bouncy and fun for this style of Black Metal. There is also a haunting quality present here that reminds me of a significantly less brain melting Blut aus Nord, which is a nice touch.
However, there are still problems. The three 9 minute + tracks are not great in terms of pacing, and are maybe 1-2 minutes too long each. These are solid tracks otherwise. The two tracks I have the most problems with are “Solar Harvest” and the 3 ½ minute ambient interlude “Summoning the Meteoric Titans”. I do not think they properly add to the album’s atmosphere, instead diverting in a way that adds unnecessary bloat. Criticism aside, this album is a promising sophomore album that I discover new things on with each subsequent listen. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Wyrgher, as I do all Menetekel projects, in the future. Possibly by album 3, he’ll have the special formula figured out for a wonderful cosmic experience.
