ALBUM REVIEW: The Shrine of Deterioration – Above Aurora

The Icelandic black metal scene has really taken off in recent years. Historically one of the last places where one would look for metal, black or otherwise, the volcanic and dramatic landscapes of geysers and vast deserted plains of snow and ice have finally proved irresistible for the imaginations and muses of those ploughing the dark side.

With current buzzwords such as MISþYRMING, AUĐN and SVARTIDAUĐI leading the charge, and as national or regional scenes the world over, the Icelandic sound has mutated, cross-pollinated and been refined to become instantly recognisable. No one else sounds like them, and no one could possibly do it better.

Moreover, it seems that this fact does not only apply to bands born and bred in the ‘land of ice’. ABOVE AURORA was conceived in Poland in 2015, debuting with full-length Onwards Desolation the following year, following it up with the EP Path to Ruin in 2018 and achieving widespread recognition thanks to a slot on last September’s European tour with compatriots MGŁA and MARTWA AURA. However, the group now reside in Reykjavik, and anyone unfamiliar with their Baltic origins could be forgiven for thinking they had lived there all along.

Second full-length The Shrine of Deterioration, released once again on Pagan Records, fits in snugly alongside recent work by the aforementioned Icelandic trailblazers. The hypnotic repetition and ample, cosmic soundscapes are firmly in place, creating the swirling and all-embracing sensation of being trapped in a snowstorm that will immediately feel familiar to anyone with even a cursory familiarity with this particular scene.

Blurred Luminosity kicks off the proceedings, consisting of a nearly five-minute atmospheric instrumental that sets the scene perfectly for what is to come. The album is split into six tracks but could just as easily have been one long movement, as this is obviously a piece of sonic art in which to become immersed in a single sitting.

Second spell Virus highlights the bass work of both V. (also responsible for guitars and vocals) and D., with tremolo riffs acting more as a backdrop than hogging the spotlight. The stream of sound is dissected and broken up by O.’s drum work, displaying an envious versatility and the perception required to provide the necessary beat at every given moment, propelling the composition along in a fluid manner without jarring contrasts.

Third cut Barren Lore relies on a cascade of dissonance while the anguished vocal cords of V. spew forth tales of “disappointment and resignation, loathing and self-reflections”, in the band’s own words. Celestial Monarch returns to more contemplative territories, dropping the pace and making good use of the extended runtime. Again, the lyrics seem to be the main focus for the first part, clearly being as integral to the experience as the music. Despite the harrowing subject matter and underlying aggression present in the drums and vocals, this is a remarkably ‘comfortable-sounding’ record, with a solid and bass-heavy foundation contrasting nicely with the ice-cold and trebly guitars.

Fourth number Precarious Foundations again grants the bass its time in the spotlight and features an unexpected and original change of pace during the last third of the song, before closer Splinters, by far the longest one here at eight minutes, speeds things back up and highlights the vital influence MGŁA has exerted on this band and on the entire third-wave black metal movement the world over.

Without reaching the transcendent level of MISþYRMING’s Algleymi, for instance, The Shrine of Deterioration is a worthy addition to the atmospheric black metal canon. The ubiquitous bass provides a nice touch of originality, and while a smidgeon more variety wouldn’t go amiss, this is a good one to throw on at night with the headphones on. Just keep a bedside light handy to read the lyric sheet though.

Rating: 7/10

The Shrine of Deterioration is out now via Pagan Records.

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