Label: Northern Silence Productions
Origin: Moscow, Russia
From the emboldened opening acoustic strum to the final heartbreaking orchestrate collection of strings, To Mantle the Rising Sun wanders through a bleak realm of the outcast who ultimately accepts his own miserable fate. Classical elements of atmospheric black metal majesty lure the helpless roamer in, before witching melodies with crushing drums decisively lock him away into a dungeon chamber enclosed by miles of molten rock.
To Mantle the Rising Sun is the sophomore effort from Malist, the one-man project conjured by Russian sorcerer Ovfrost. Following Malist’s 2019 debut, Into the Catacombs of Time, this new record expands on Ovfrost’s dedication to symphonic soundscapes, sheer decibel cliffs, and groovy — yes, groovy — collections of riffs. In blending the spoken word and hell-scraping minor chords with meandering percussions, Into the Catacombs of Time proved Ovfrost’s elevated technical abilities in both composing and performing with prowess. To Mantle the Rising Sun rapidly cools the magmatic solution into formation, creating a sinister world where elegance and evil dance before the shrouded sun.
A malist is one who acknowledges and accepts the dominance of evil in the world. To Mantle the Rising Sun embodies this sentiment, and forcibly shoves even the most naive optimist into a blackened chasm of despair. Awakening on the cold, steely floor of a wretched dungeon cell, opening track “Land of the Bewitched” betrays the listener’s sense of calm with soft, beautiful acoustics until reminding him of his dark fate with a tornado of black metal mysticism. The grinding growls of Ovfrost interchange seamlessly with his whispered internal voice as he rips the listener to shreds in a moment of despair. The song transitions with ease following a declaration of the album’s title: now that the sun has been shrouded, the world is flipped. “Shackled Minds” and “Blood of the Untouchable” translate this unfamiliarity by delving into the murky seas of black ‘n’ roll and progressive metal waters, in the style of later-era Darkthrone or Satyricon. Funky basslines and chunky power chords mate with searing extremes, giving birth to the sense of isolation felt while stumbling through the frostbitten plains of the dead. Closing track, “Karsted Hearts,” catalogs the final metamorphosis of the malist’s being: a betrayed heart turned to stone and devoured by acid. A grueling introduction lends itself to volcanic chaos as Ovfrost jackhammers with polished minor chords carving away geologic time in a matter of seconds.
To Stifle the Fire in the Eyes (26:52-33:31) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lENWQCMOBw
Standout track, “To Stifle the Fire in the Eyes,” captures the soul at its most vulnerable. Perverse pandemonium and chaotic confusion hack away at the senses before Gojira-inspired double-kicks whet the blade. Not long into the blood-soaked madness, a soaring solo slices through the atmosphere in a desperate plea to open the heavens and ask for mercy. A momentary respite and orchestral notes are swiftly snuffed; the heavens have refused to answer the call.
To Mantle the Rising Sun is a relentless, punishing journey through a rocky world shrouded by evil. Every track serves this blackened reality just as cold and lonely death serves Lucifer himself. Ovfrost has assaulted the wandering malist with terrifying rage, melding inspirations together as a blacksmith would hammer a dragon-slaying scythe into existence. Malist has taken a tried and true evil formula and chemically mutated it into a new troubled species of black metal.
FFO: Wolves in the Throne Room, Darkthrone, Satyricon, Mayhem