OSGRAEF - Reveries Of The Arcane Eye LP (Preorder)
NB! Preorder item, shipping late April
Osgraef mix black, death, doom, and war metal into a 42-minute expression of mysterious brutality. Reveries of the Arcane Eye is a ball of raging potency and deep obscure atmosphere.
The songs on Reveries of the Arcane Eye benefit from war metal’s unhinged ferocity, but this is kept in place by death metal steel girders. Onto this formidable bedrock are built unholy cathedrals of black metal spectral might. A chasm of dark abyssal doom can be seen close by too, used for grim rituals only when the need is high.
The drums walk a line between control and chaos. The guitars move from serrated blackened ice to barbaric and belligerent riffs, and understated melodies add both atmosphere and dark emotion. Other musical touches and unsettling sounds appear here and there, enhancing the core of the music with their inclusion. The vocals are primarily daemonic screams that are more forceful than the norm, augmented by others in key places, such as deep growls.
The music is well-crafted, although it almost feels conjured up form the pits of Hell, rather then written by mortal hands. The music is harsh and unforgiving, and has an eerie, sinister feel that’s unearthly and esoteric. The songs are heavy and malignant, but combine their intensity and crushing infernal majesty with an atmospheric dread and weighty aura that’s remarkable. Osgraef dominate the airwaves with their nightmarish assault.
Reveries of the Arcane Eye is a strong debut record. Osgraef’s first blackened eruption of atmosphere and brutality is a striking one. The balance between the two is well-judged, delivering songs that are fiercely aggressive, but with a malefic presence that’s undeniable.
Black vinyl LP with insert.
Amor Fati 2025
