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Band: Ovnev
Album title: Incalescence
Release date: 25 November 2017
Label: Naturmacht Productions
Tracklist:
01. Subterranean Premonitions
02. Icy Incalescence
03. A Living Resonance
04. Oracles Of The Eternal Wisdom
05. They Reclaimed The Land
Ovnev is a solo project run by musician named West and is based in Spring, Texas. Incalescence is his sophomore album, coming almost exactly one year after his first full-length, Cycle Of Survival, which was a concept album inspired by personal experiences of living in the wilderness for long periods of time. It blends works of fiction and non fiction with the struggles and exhilaration of living in a mountainous forest alone.
This sophomore album of Ovnev, Incalescence, captures and channels the omnipresence of nature so to speak. Incalescence is also a conceptual album, but this one is based on the statements of one of the greatest explorers of modern times, Admiral Richard E. Byrd, of the United States Navy, that describes an unknown land, located in the interior of Antarctica. It is a five track album running in 42 minutes of pure atmospheric black metal that provides to the listener an all-encompassing and dramatic grandeur conjoined with melancholy. Playing on contrasts, Ovnev brings us a meditative initiation, a journey to the unknown and mysterious land,... headphones up and let’s begin the trip!
The opening chapter of this amazing expedition, "Subterranean Premonitions", is gloomy without being depressive, with acoustic passages, it has a contrasting wistful and introspective feeling. The melodies are sublime... why not say, glorious. Acoustic guitars and use of string instruments makes company to one excerpt from the original interview with Admiral Richard E. Byrd for Longines Chronoscope, a television program at that time. All of the five tracks are rich in raw black metal, but layered with engaging atmospheric manner and all along we find acoustic guitar, progressive metal and folk elements that couldn't be missed in this kind of artistic journey as well. Everything is perfectly mixed together and even when it becomes aggressive and speeding, it doesn't lose any of the expansiveness.
This is excelent immersive nature themed atmospheric black metal at its best. The frequent acoustic parts are well performed and work nicely with a lonesome electric solo as an accompaniment. I like very much that this album is not filled with negativity, but rather full of emotive content. A call to the real value of nature that many in this world have lost. Incalescence is highly recommended, I don't have favourite tracks on this work, I love the whole album.
West, the master behind Ovnev, has produced an extremely nice piece of art, this should appeal to all refined fans of atmospheric black metal, who assume that an album is not merely noise, but must ally the instruments with a consistent themed lyrics. Unfortunately, as in traditional society, many metalheads that claim to be underground are merely puppies of the rotting system, and do not have the ability to appreciate quality rather than quantity, which is a pity. I hope that I'm wrong and if so, I'll swallow my previous words.
Review written by: Felin Frost
Rating: 9/10
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