Friday 11 December 2015

Torver/Arcane North - From Moonrise To Moonset Split


Tracklist:-

1. Torver - Moonrise
2. Torver - Naked In The Wilderness
3. Torver - Lunar Ritual
4, Arcane North - Invoke The Spirit Of The North
5. Arcane North - Cold Lonely Moors
6. Arcane North - Moonset

It's only during the long dark nights of winter in the UK that you truly begin to appreciate black metal. It's also the only time you're able to really feel what it's like to reside in the cold Norwegian towns and villages that have bread so many of the genre's creative forces over the years. This particular split features two mysterious bands from the upper reaches of Northern England. Torver calls Cumbria home while Arcane North resides in County Durham. From Moonrise To Moonset was released in limited numbers in February 2015, by new homegrown black metal label Blackwood Productions. It was in fact the label's debut release.

Inspired by the landscape that surrounds it, Torver opens with an ambient instrumental called Moonrise. It begins very serenely before building with keys, horns and the distant howl of Wolves. It’s certainly a majestic way to begin. The clean choral singing that greets you on Naked In The Wilderness is unexpected but the rousing intro gives way to distant rasps and symphonic instrumentation. There’s a lot of traditional folk instruments and effects at play here too. Lunar Ritual is stunning, combining all of Torver’s elements into one blasting yet varied song. The verses focus on the extreme side of their sound while the choruses (if there is such a thing here) contain melody and ambient nuances. Arcane North follows with the strange, electronic-led intro of Invoke The Spirit Of The North. Menacing and dark, yet veiled in an avant-garde earthiness (sorry if that description reads as pretentious, it’s not meant to!). The mid-paced tempo of the instrumentation is backed up by occult choral chants and high-pitched black metal vocals. The rousing guitar of Cold Lonely Moors reminds you of the windy isolation of the Northern countryside. It’s something that I can relate to, living in North Yorkshire. It’s a feeling that you get throughout the song. They close off the split with Moonset, an instrumental of interstellar proportions. One that could accompany any lonely night atop of moors or fells watching the stars on an unspoilt night sky. This split is for anyone who appreciates black metal that ins’t strict to the letter. Black metal that’s avant-garde and even a bit melodic. Both Torver and Arcane North compliment each other really well and prove that you can still get very excited about UKBM.

From Moonrise To Moonset is available to stream in it's entirety on Youtube below:-


Physical copies can be purchased from both bands and Blackwood Productions here -

http://blackwoodproductions.bigcartel.com

Torver Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Torver666
Arcane North Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ArcaneNorth
Blackwood Productions Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/blackwoodproductionsuk

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