ALBUM REVIEW: I: Oblivion – Vnder A Crvmbling Moon

Featuring former members of the likes of GARGANTUA, CONJURER and CODEX ALIMENTARIUS, VNDER A CRVMBLING MOON have an impressive CV at face value. With their debut I: Oblivion, they fully lay out their wares. Blending elements of doom, black metal and a sprinkling of post-metal, the result is a multi-layered, crushing and consuming soundscape that pulls all of the aforementioned elements together into an event horizon allowing nothing to escape its grasp. Expect swirling compositions and heavyweight groove-led riffs underpinning downtempo melodies. It’s a dark trip going into oblivion.

It’s always a bold move opening an album with the longest track on it. However, as introductions go, When The Nightmare Came serves its purpose perfectly. A mournful, unassuming acoustic intro builds a soundscape that is as intriguing as it is sorrowful, with each note carefully picking a path that meanders to the full band crashing wave. While in some cases this type of introduction can be misplaced and lead to a ponderous build that quickly loses any interest before the full instrumentation kicks in, When The Nightmare Came successfully builds and layers the tension before the full-bodied riffs and colossal rhythm sections take full control. While the texture levels remain at max power for the majority, the dynamics ebb and flow ensuring that the pace of the track is kept and minimising any potential staleness in this 13-minute album opener.

At just five tracks, the shortest of which is a touch over six minutes with the others sailing clear of nine minutes and beyond, I: Oblivion is an album that takes its time. With melodic layering combined with relentlessly crushing riffs and rhythms, it meanders a path that tours a lot of emotions and insular reflections. It would be hard going to dip into the album for a selected highlight or standout track, as it is more than the sum of its parts.

True, The Watcher features some of the finest guitar melodies on the album and is intoxicating in its melodic structure. Destruction offers a more refined doom approach and differs significantly from the surrounding tracks with its straight forward beat and structured riffs offering more of a hook. But there is a clear journey from the album opener through to the closing notes of Salvation that cannot be ignored. Some may find that type of songwriting and album construction tough going and lose the thread of the music, the wall of sound could come across ponderous and thus overwhelming. While this can be valid criticism, it’s worth noting that after even only a little effort, so many elements become apparent as to offer intrigue and depth that is so rewarding.

What we’ve got here is an investment album. The time dedicated to listening to it will be richly rewarded. Some may undoubtedly have reservations about track length and compositional structure, citing overblown or inflated ideas dragging on as off putting, and these are valid concerns if all one does is look at track length to define an album. As soon as the play button is hit, however, many of those hang ups will disappear. Once the music settles in, the soundscapes take over, engulfing everything and becoming an all-encompassing focal point.

Rating: 8/10

I: Oblivion is set for release on May 19th via Church Road Records

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