The legend of Frostmoon Eclipse is far from over.
Formed in Italy in 1994, the band led by Claudio Alcara (guitar, Aere Aeternus, Stroszek), Gionata Potenti (drums, Chaos Invocation, Darvaza, Moloch, Nubivagant, ex-Blut aus Nord, ex-Fides Inversa…), Lorenzo Sassi (vocals, Liber Null, Patristic) and Davide Gorrini (bass, Merihem, Stroszek) continues its partnership with Immortal Frost Productions for the release of its eighth album, As Time Retreats.
The band immediately draws us into a haunting melancholy with Transient, the first track, adding soaring melodies to a haunting but rather raw base that eventually accelerates to welcome the growls. The mix calms down, remaining unsettling while developing clear vocals, finally joining Truth Of The World, which starts off with a jerky but fairly calm approach before exploding in mid-flight and becoming more aggressive again. A new break offers us a moment of respite before the riffs once again give way to saturation, then to a painful sweetness that leads to Out In The Grey Light and its hypnotic harmonics. Once again, the aggression comes more from the vocalist, while the musicians weave a cold but soaring web that doesn’t hesitate to flare up from time to time or, on the contrary, become strangely comforting, fueling the contrast before giving way to Universe Black Vacuum, where the icy melodies reappear. The vocals become more plaintive, mixing screams and lamentations, but a solo comes along to calm the spirits before setting off again in this tornado of emotions. However, the track passes in an instant and leads into Spectral, whose introduction is also very intoxicating. The arrival of saturation brings the Doom influences to the fore, but the Black Metal roots are never far away, setting certain passages ablaze before moving on to No Place Left To Leave, which welcomes us in a fairly refined manner, then plunges once again into darkness. Despite moments of uncertainty, the song remains quite virulent, as does Char These Bones To Coal, which follows suit and offers a macabre intensity in the vocals that accompany the fury before lulling us. The Old School roots carry us with a bang towards the tranquility of Eschaton, the last long composition, which uses its haunting touches to embellish its saturation while leaving it aside at times to create a misty break before the mad rush resumes until it reaches nothingness.
Although its longevity is a clear sign of quality, Frostmoon Eclipse has certainly lived up to its reputation! With As Time Retreats, the pioneer of Italian Black Metal never hesitates to tinge its darkness with palpable melancholy, much to our delight.
90/100
