Raw/Atmoshperic Black Metal from Sweden
Yesterday I had an annoying conversation with the sun. “Hello sun”, I said friendly, “what kind of state form do you prefer?” “Idiot”, was the answer, “don’t you see that I am a democratic planet? My light shines for everyone!” “I beg your pardon – and what about the moon? Is it a democrat as well?” The answer was the same as before: “Idiot – don’t you realize that it takes the light away, no matter if we like it or not? It’s a tyrant!” After this bashing, the sun did not speak any longer with me. Guess it could not stand its own heat very well this day. Anyway, I left it alone and turned my focus on Tyrant Moon.
Honestly speaking, at first I thought this album must be a joke, but I was, well, an idiot. Maybe its material is nothing but primitive, nevertheless, the music has a majestic and cruel component that makes it fascinating. I have read that these are “dungeon synth melodies” and if this is true, I want to be a prisoner in this dungeon for two or three days (but not at the weekend, I just don’t want to go to work). Then I would dive deeply into the simple, Summoning-like drumming (enjoy it at the end of “Lunar Obsession”) or the Silencer-esque screams that accompany the stoic melodies almost all the time. Don’t wait for lyrics, there are none, just these fervent screams that have the intention to shatter your nerves in a matter of minutes. They are successful in doing so.
The mostly slow-moving melodies create a dignified atmosphere and an almost opaque density, but the permanent desperate cries reflect the subconscious horror. The thinly whistling synths also contribute to the surrealistic appearance. Okay, the songs do not reveal many layers. More precisely, they do not have more than one. This album is free from any kind of surprise or sudden twists and turns, but this is part of the concept and so everything feels right. Speaking of the concept, the entire visual design is stripped down to the essentials. Black and white artwork, song titles on the back, nothing else. A black inner sleeve without any information is a matter of course as well. So I enjoy the black metal aesthetics of the package, but we learn absolutely nothing about the artist(s) – typical tyrannical lack of transparency!
Unfortunately “Inhale” and “Exhale” are total failures. They just lengthen the tracklist. Thus, they belong to these intros and outros that want us to think we have bought a full-length, not just an EP. Any other purpose is undetectable. But the four full tracks show no signs of weakness, only the synthesizer intro of “From the Depths Cloaked in Darkness” does not contribute to the fascination of Tyrant Moon’s debut. Yes, despite its nearly sterile musical approach and the dull, echoing, more or less non-professional production, the main part of “Eternal Nightfall” casts its spell upon the listener. So this album is for the “dungeon synth” community as well as for those who like extremely headstrong bands like Moonblood, who play a different style, but also have subjected themselves to strict rules of self-limitation. Check out sinister tracks like “Lunar Obsession” or “Antediluvian Chaos” and experience their pretty morbid effect.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq3DLkZf_e4&t=1070s
