Firstly, I have to say what wonderful artwork here. I’m all the more impressed when I saw that it is actually painted by the musician in question himself. It has a feeling of Vampiric nostalgia about it and it could come straight off the cover of a novel by the late, great Brian Lumley. Bloedmaan (which even I can translate as meaning ‘Blood Moon’) is the work of Belgian artist Ronarg who is also active in both Anzaat and Ars Veneficium. This is the first solo release under the moniker and contains five tracks running at just under the half-hour mark. Obviously it is black metal. At first glance I suspected it might have a dungeon synth orientation but no, we are not in the deep bowels of this particularly castle but high on the ramparts supremely shouting down at the lorded-over domain below.

Flying straight in and borne on a scream ‘The Night Of Blood’ is fast, furious and goes straight for the throat. This means business and comes at the speakers with the velocity of a bat outta hell (sorry). Once you get over the fact that it is all being done by one person, undead or otherwise, it bounds away with a bouncy beat and reinforced by a jubilant and surprisingly upbeat melody. The forceful and throaty yells are vocally just as impressive and it’s a hungry pounding number until a somewhat more morose passage takes it out. ‘Cursed Charms Of Death’ has a similarly celebratory charge to it and revels in the blood of its enemies via a tight strangulating central riff flailing away as the drums decimate and rhythm gloriously stomps. By comparison and as suggested by title ‘Haunted Melancholic Obsessions’ slows and applies a lover’s touch as it relates a tale where our overlord seeks his bride. Singing sweetly with clean verse as he beseeches with the words, “come with me my love Take me to my grave Hide me in the shadows Until the darkness Shall separate us no more.”

With lips caressed by blood we face “sanguine rituals” and “cursed magic” as ‘Winged Flight Under The Pale Moon’ weaves a 2nd wave black metal magical melodicism around our punctured throats. This is the longest and probably my favourite track it’s got a super-charged cut and thrust about it and perversely is full of life. The count seems to be having great fun as he yells and hollers his parts about and it’s guaranteed to have you out of your coffin and partying till daylight. Naturally it can’t all be fun and games and indiscriminate blood-letting, the bodies pile up and people start getting suspicious. The hunter invariably becomes the hunted and so with ‘The Hunters Dream’ one best hope that castle is an impenetrable vanguard. Well, listen yourself to hear how the tale ends and whether the children of the night survive its “bittersweet symphony.” What music Ronarg has made, very enjoyable in all aspects and a fine foundation for future feasts.

(8/10 Pete Woods)

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https://immortalfrostproductions1.bandcamp.com/album/castle-inside-the-eclipse