Zalmoxis "A Nocturnal Emanation" Cassette

ZALMOXIS stands for storming and epic German Black Metal. Still early days, this concurrent project of Fortress of the Olden Days mainman Entheogen has so far released two demos - the latter of which, Pralayic Beheading, was released by brother label HARVEST OF DEATH. These early works suggested a restless soul steeped in the ancients, black metal of a most medieval vintage. Now ZALMOXIS strikes back with an ambitious 25-minute single track ominously bearing the title A Nocturnal Emanation. A none-more-apt description of its contents if there ever was one, here Entheogen patiently builds an ethereal-yet-thick fog of sorcerous swirl, its strangely alluring spell drowning the listener in dissonace and dislocated melody. And yet, despite its grandiose length, A Nocturnal Emanation manages to engage at every step, each one rife with grim abandon and on the verge of self-combustion but then righting itself into a surprising twist of texture. This misty 'n' mystical landscape beckons complete immersion...dare you enter?

Mastered at Trollhouse Studios by Henri Sorvali (Moonsorrow) Cover art by Nether Temple Design

Not to be misled by the cover artwork, Zalmoxis’ EP, A Nocturnal Emanation, is not a tutorial or beginners guide on how to train your dragon; rather, it is an atmospheric raw black metal track of beauty, obscurity and malice interwoven. Also, I urge you not to be thrown-off by the ‘raw black metal’ tag applied, Zalmoxis is far from ((that)) band compositionally; in fact, the project is unorthodoxly distanced from anything of that sort. To look for an item remotely similar to A Nocturnal Emanation, one would have to take some traits from the cavernous death metal genre mix it with something heard from Revenant Marquis or a band/project within the Helvetic Underground Committee, then perhaps venture outside of metal and reel in Arkona (Russia). This long track is the strangest yet still repeatable record I’ve heard in a while. Avant-garde in some ways but still has enough to be characterized under the black metal tree. Having to dig for the music here comes as a pleasurable task; due to the array of ambient and harsh elements clashing against each other with frequenting occurrence, a sort of blurr/smoke is created that hides the music. But diving into those clouds of claustrophobia holds a sense of reward for the listener, that in the process of dispelling the smoky haze is greeted by compelling music of mysterious, melancholic and morose movements. For a track of 24 minutes in duration, A Nocturnal Emanation achieves quite the feat by not just making the listener want to circumspect-fully examine the music but gives him/her pleasure in doing so. In addition, when in pursuit of the music, each new discovery pieces together in a way that is followable. Every new asset on A Nocturnal Emanation is brought into play such that a mental roadmap is created. Not to be mistaken for predictability, though offering a projection, the music is tactical at a level in terms of how and where diverse and contrasting segments are introduced, thus making it familiar to a degree but also unpredictable. It’s the little things that are done here that make the difference of standing-out. The music builds in crescendo-esque fashion, moving among sad, overpowering and mystic tones achieving overdrive, while still amending its tempo with an influx of different sounds. I’d hope more is to follow A Nocturnal Emanation, that bends perception while distancing itself from the norm.

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