ALBUM REVIEWS: Beyond Unseen Gateways – Ildaruni

Black metal has had a long and fruitful relationship with folk and pagan music since it was first spawned onto this material plane. Often, elements from the latter are introduced to the former in order to deepen atmosphere and produce unique sounds. For the most part, this trend tends to skew towards the folk traditions of Europe and Scandinavia, but ILDARUNI, who hail from the highlands of Armenia, aim to change that on their new album Beyond Unseen Gateways by turning a blackened eye onto their country’s ancient history and rich traditions.

After the atmospheric bookend of Haldinini Baushini, Imsheini Tariani comes the meat of the album. Treading The Path Of Cryptic Wisdom opens on traditional, almost power metal riffing, before introducing the first of the folk elements; a pipe. At first, this seems like standard folk metal fare with an immediately apparent Eastern feel, but once the blackened speed and aggression is cranked up it all gels into a super melodic and highly considered assault, weaving an undulating soundscape which oddly manages to feel both darkly oppressive and dappled with wistful light.

Following this the album slips into a very defined groove. Perpetual Ritual provides some utterly bone splintering mid-paced crunch and is an apparent nod to the band’s clear ROTTING CHRIST influence. The alien, folkish twang lent to some of the riffs on display in Boundless Numen: Gardens of Ardini cast them in a unique and often gorgeous shade. While the music here is familiar, it is far from done by numbers, It seems already that the idea to blend these two very disparate styles was the correct one. The spin that ILDARUNI have placed on their music is fresh and original enough to distinguish it from the safe and recognised elements that have all-too-repeatedly been cast into the yawning chasm that is black metal.

Throughout Beyond Unseen Gateways’ middle period there is a further leaning into folk elements, with the band redeploying the Pipe in Towards Subterranean Realms and even introducing a parkapzuk (a type of droneless sheepskin bagpipe used in Armenian folk music) in Exalted Birth. This serves to elevate the dense, longform atmosphere which has been building gradually since the album’s opening moments to an effervescent head. Like the long march to some forgotten battle, these sections infuse the listener with both exuberance and trepidation over where the saga may be spiriting them away to, while remaining satisfyingly riff-heavy and entertaining in their own right.

Penultimate track Arakha escalates the paganist march of its predecessors into a storm of BATUSHKA style ritualistic chants, no-nonsense blast beats and a lattice of thick, satisfying riff work before monumental closer Whence Ravenstone Beckons kicks in. This track is the definite logical conclusion, borrowing elements from throughout the album and moulding them into arguably the most together and enjoyable passage on the album, rounding it out with a sense of triumphant elation as the outro chanting fades into obscurity.

ILDARUNI have managed to take concepts as alien to the average outsider as the ancient history and folk music traditions of Armenia and expressed them through the familiar medium of black metal. Across the album’s ample runtime, these elements are condensed and made both easily digestible and captivating to those who may have had no previous idea of the fascinating themes and luscious melody contained therein. As a study of ancient culture it is informative and dynamic, but as an album, Beyond Unseen Gateways is an excellent debut from Armenia’s newest and possibly best cultural export.

Rating: 8/10

Beyond Unseen Gateways is out now via Black Lion Records. 

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