DEPARTURE CHANDELIER - The Black Crest Of Death, The Gold Wreath Of War LP (Black Vinyl)

• 2024 pressing of 500 copies. 
• 3mm jacket and insett.

Departure Chandelier is a project that is apparently rooted in the american black metal (but also noise) scene, as it seems to feature members of the likes of Akitsa and Ash Pool. To anyone familiar with those bands it's clear that this isn't standard usbm fare (as in adhering to the ridiculous cascadian sound) but informed by entirely different "trends". At the same time this is actually unique to anything we've heard from those related projects, as despite the fact that it's clearly american, hinted at by the way the riffs are accentuated and the style of the vocals, it has more similarities to something like the self-titled track from Blood Fire Death.

Essentially this is two proper songs, with an intro and outro. You can count the riffs in this whole demo on one hand but they are definitely not boring in their repetition and the various elements encircling them are used amazingly. The keys and sampled choirs are used to complete the riffs or create a polyphony rather than just sit in the background for extra atmosphere. The best thing this little release offers besides the unique atmosphere is how good the band is at creating and relieving tension. In this way the writing is extremely effective considering how simple the structure is otherwise.