Even though this new release from Starer only features three tracks, there is still plenty to take away from the immense sounding landscapes and captivating atmospheric elements. “Remorse Defines Me,” is another strong offering from this one-man atmospheric black metal project that has continued to demonstrate a passionate drive for composing majestic and haunting sounding pieces of music.
Starer’s approach on this EP is very similar to previous releases with its mixture of harsh sounding black metal and mesmerizing atmospheric touches. I would say that there is a balance of heaviness and melody, which I believe allows the listener to be lulled away into this fascinating world of endless possibilities. On each track you are able to hear an artist transcending the norms of what most people have come to expect from extreme music, however the experimentation is not done in a halfhearted manner and the music has the ability to appeal to wide range of music fans.
The first track, “Five Minutes Before Dawn,” is a great example of how Starer blends together these melancholy atmospheric keyboard arrangements with very harsh sounding chord progressions. As the distortion rings out over the haunting landscape, the vocals provide an even darker touch of chaotic ambience that continues to evolve with such sinister grace. At times the transitions can sound a bit choppy, but for the most part you feel as if the music is very compelling and the overall sound takes on this cinematic like vibe.
The second song on the EP, “Coiled Around the Sun,” picks up where the first track left off, but I felt as though that the guitar parts on this track conveyed a more aggressive sounding tone. Also, the fearsome sounding arrangement towards the end of the song definitely grabbed my attention as the music continued to march onwards with a thunderous edge. The last song on the EP, “The Flickering,” is an extremely emotionally charged piece of music with a monumental rush of raw sounding atmospheric black metal. I thought that the layering of the keyboards was executed extreme well, especially in terms of how the keyboards complimented the guitar effects used in certain riff sections.
Anyone who is a fan of atmospheric black metal should check out this new EP by Starer, because the quality of the compositions and the intense emotional joyride on each track is rather impressive. Listeners will discover that once you start listening to this EP, you really do not wish to tear yourself away until the very end. I have always felt that when it comes to atmospheric black, artists should never settle for subpar sounding arrangements. So many musicians fail to recognize this and end up writing forgettable material. I believe that with each new release Starer continues to explore the thresholds of extreme musical creativity, and the dedication to writing dynamic sounding compositions really makes each new release worth checking out.
Check out the song "Five Minutes Before Dawn" :
Album comes out September 2nd and is available through Snow Wolf Records:
https://snowwolfrecords.bandcamp.com/
Great review Robby.
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