ALBUM REVIEW: The Carpathian Summit – Illyria

It’s no secret that Australia has a rich pedigree when it comes to alternative music and Perth’s ILLYRIA are looking to join those esteemed ranks. The blackgaze quintet have already got one full-length album under their belt, 2016’s self-titled effort, and they’re now on the cusp of releasing their second, The Carpathian Forest, which is arriving via Collision Course at the end of the month.

The genre of blackgaze – quite literally a cross of black metal and shoegaze – is one that can allow a certain amount of creative freed not found within other styles. Certainly, ILLYRIA have played up to this and the results are clear to see. Take Echoflower, split over two parts, the former building slowly with acoustic guitars and ethereal choir voices before segueing into the much harsher second movement, displaying the band’s prowess and diversity in as concise a way possible.

An oft-used technique is the gradual build into songs, with the likes of opening track Resurgence and Autumn Fades Away starting with soft, pleasant foundations before going off in completely different directions: the first takes a more progressive stance after some serious riffing with clean vocals and a more prominent bassline, the second showcases Ilija Stajić’s exceptional singing voice before exploding into a strong black metal finish. In the case of The Second Day of Spring, Stajić’s bleak screams provide the aforementioned build, initially appearing distance and haunting before coming to the fore and fading away to chimes at the song’s climax. One cannot go without mentioning the thirteen-minute title track either, the jewel in the album that is paced brilliantly and explores a multitude of different qualities, throwing in some trumpets and birdsong for good measure that only add to the overall experience.

With all this in mind, there are still areas that can be ironed out within ILLYRIA’s output. Wilderness is much more sedate and doesn’t continue the tempo that had been set up prior, thus rendering it a non-event given the tracks around it. Closing track Winter’s Wedding is another example, coming across as an attempt to cram one final bit of everything ILLYRIA have conveyed over the previous hour, consequently sounding bloated and confusing. As such, it leaves a sour hint in the mouth that could have been far sweeter with fewer combined elements. Lead single Kenopsia also suffers now that it isn’t out on its own; it’s a solid enough track, but within the confines of the album it is significantly less interesting; that said, it’s not usually a good thing when the singles are the best numbers on an album and ILLYRIA have successfully avoided that particular pitfall.

It must be made clear that ILLYRIA are a young outfit and as such are only going to improve as time goes on. The Carpathian Forest is awash with good moments and abundant potential that will please fans of DEAFHEAVEN and MØL, and they should rightfully be praised for crafting an interesting and layered record. A little more consistency within the next album will push them to even greater heights; judging on their current output, that won’t be too hard to achieve.

Rating: 7/10

The Carpathian Forest is out now via self-release. 

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