MISTIGO VARGGOTH DARKESTRA - Midnight Fullmoon LP (Gold Vinyl)

Mistigo Varggoth Darkestra was a side project of Knjaz Varggoth from Nokturnal Mortum, which took on a more ambient approach to the symphonic black metal sound that NM pioneered. The project released two demos in 1996 before releasing their debut album the next year titled "Midnight Fullmoon", or Midnight Foolmoon if you're looking at the Bandcamp version. And as far as dark ambient goes, this is a very strong album.

Starting off with the first track "Awakening of the Secrets of the Dreaming Woods", it's very minimalistic in its composition. There is a deep droning sound that plays in the background while an eerie chant plays in the foreground. The voices are clearly synthesized and haven't exactly aged the best, but this cheap and old quality is part of the charm. It's instrumentals don't offer any complex or technical marvels, but with its basic playthrough, it does offer a huge atmosphere that simulates the idea of being in a mystical forest. And this atmosphere remains strong throughout the entire album. You have tracks like "Dracul - The Triumph of the Blooded Moon" that take on a darker, more vampiric turn with its orchestral-like keyboards, and "Algol's Black Lights" that lean more towards electronic music with its groovy and upbeat drumming in the second-half. But probably my favorite track on this album is the last track "The Majestic Flight Above the Burning Churches of the Ancient Oriana Land". The main instrument is a melodic, yet haunting tune that plays throughout the entire track while mystic and spatial effects play in the background, giving you the perfect feeling of flying above Oriana.