Lunar Aurora - Andacht

I don't remember many Black Metal albums I heard which carried a dense and mystifying atmosphere as this one. This is definitely one of the most eerie sounding albums out there and that's what makes Lunar Aurora a cut above your average Black Metal bands. Andacht is a musical masterpiece which grows on you after each listen. It's one of the few ''love at first listen'' albums in my opinion. You can never get tired of it. It's a sad thing that they are on hold now and the future of Lunar Aurora looks pretty dubious. But what they have left behind them is certainly going to get the band accolades in the future as well. Their musical prowess really justifies their name. Lunar Aurora : ''The aura of the Moon''. The cold and melancholic atmosphere takes the listener to an unending dark celestial voyage. The album contains 6 Intense tracks which captivates the listener almost till an hour. The guitar and drum onslaught on this album is absolutely rapturous. Pummeling tremolo picked riffs and nefarious shrieks and howls define the somber mood of Andacht. But the biggest highlight of this release are the bizarre Keyboard passages and sound effects which are instrumental in creating a desolate atmosphere and sorrowful mood which is the real strength of this musical masterpiece. The opening track ''Gluck'' is an absolute majestic exemplification of the unique songwriting capability of Aran and Co. With amazing Spoken vocals, beautiful acoustic interludes and chorus this song has been deftly etched in my memories. The sound effects used were something i never heard! The way they have been intertwined with the music is just incredible and gives me goose pimples on each listen. Geisterschiff begins with a amazing sample which resembles the sound of calm sea waves and fades into the riffs pretty soon. A euphoric ambience supports the riffs which makes this song an exquisite one. Lunar Aurora's ability to maintain the smooth flow of their instruments is far beyond belief.The next tracks ''Dunkler Mann'', ''Finlding'' and ''Der Pakt'' are full of culminating samples and dense atmosphere. What makes these songs so special is the amazing variance used in the vocal department. The clean spoken vocals sound almost godly! Probably the next best i heard apart from Lykathea Aflame's epic album ''Elvenfris''. It's really hard to believe that a drum machine was used in this album because they sound so natural and precise. Blast beats have been executed in full glory which are totally in-sync with the incredible and herculean riffage. Various tempo changes and transitions depict the mighty grandeur of this album. Another striking highlight is the flawless production. But It's definitely not ''polished''. A good production is quintessential for a band like Lunar Aurora whose music depends mostly on the atmosphere otherwise it'd sound too dissonant. When it comes to bands like Lunar Aurora, Verdunkeln, Darkspace etc, it's the atmosphere which matters the most! Overall, this release is capable enough to make it to the list of one of the best albums ever released in this genre. This is not simply music but a heavy slab of emotions. It takes oneself into the abysmal depths of solitude and anguish. This subtle skill of Lunar Aurora make them as the connoisseurs of desolation. If you are a fan of black metal, then i see no reason as to why this album shouldn't be a part of your collection. So, if you truly yearn to drown in a pool of melancholy then do yourselves a favour and listen to Andacht and other mighty releases by Lunar Aurora. I am sure that you'll be more than satisfied. It can't get as mysterious and perfect as this one.