Beneath Moonlight is alive.
Created by The Inquisitor (vocals), The Sanguinarian (piano/composition), The Ghastly Vrykolak (guitar), The Haunted Strigoi (guitar/bass) and The Impaler (drums), all affiliated with the American label Ordo Vampyr Orientis (Bat Magic, Beastial Majesty, Bellum Mortis), the band unveils its debut EP, Beneath Moonlight.
The band welcomes us with Malleus Maleficarum, an introduction composed by Sanguine revealing ominous sounds and some percussion, which quickly gives way to None Before God, a creation where lively piano and Raw Black Metal meet. The grimy mix allows the band to play with an eerie ambience, thanks in part to the dissonance and contrast between the two elements, but the sound becomes more melodic on Reckoning of the Inquisitor, despite the band adopting a similar approach. Bass also stands out in the composition, placing that more soothing, soaring touch before the break allows us a moment’s respite before returning to saturation, although it seems more heady as it leads us into Versipellis and its raw riffs. The playful piano recreates the contrast mentioned earlier, but it’s even more telling here with the cries of despair followed by those of Beneath Moonlight, the eponymous track where the musicians are joined by Blondel del Nesle. The track is just as tortured as it is aggressive, but it eventually calms down as it reaches Vals – Malleus Lycanthroporum, a final jaunty dance that allows the musicians to close their EP with The Sanguinarian‘s piano once again in the spotlight.
Beneath Moonlight is far from being a beginners’ band. The musicians know perfectly how to make their Black Metal scathing, creating cutting riffs and painful screams to contrast with the more motivating piano keys. Don’t miss Beneath Moonlight.
90/100
