Labels: Self-Released
Formats: CD/Digital
Release Date: 29 Jan 2026
Tracklist:
1. In excitatione terrae
2. In lumine lunae
3. Dimensio mortis
4. Ultra insaniam
5. Liberum arbitrium
6. Haec vox
7. Magna paranoia
8. Smaragdus somnium
A few weeks ago a copy of the debut album from Polish post-black metal/shoegaze act Viamaer dropped through my letter box. In lumine lunae was self-released in January by sole member Krystian Jurkiewicz (also a member of Polish Thrash/Groove metallers Steamachine). This is a record full of Krystian's personal experiences, yet it's also written with the listener in mind. Let's put that to the test...
All of the song titles here (alongside the album title) are in Latin, so forgive me for not translating them. Starting with ‘In excitatione terrae’, Viamaer immediately surprises with music that sounds so clean and melodic. The instrumentation early on is slightly jarring due to a subtle disconnect with the percussion but that’s soon resolved, as the vocals (varying between clean singing and harsh growls) take center stage. The vocals are used sparingly in between the vast instrumental approach of Viamaer though, which is very good indeed.
I’m not a linguist but I think the vocals are being delivered in Polish, Viamaer’s mother tongue (please correct me if I’m wrong here!). The language doesn’t really matter though, as title-track ‘In lumine lunae’ presents itself with so much atmosphere and progression. Viamaer’s bandcamp page recommends Asunojokei and Ghost Bath as similar bands, which aren’t too far off actually. ‘Dimensio mortis’ might come across as something morbid, but it’s anything but. The instrumentation grows with every bar, sounding very upbeat. The clean vocals sit deeper on the recording, which is quite disappointing actually. All elements come together in the latter-half though, as harsh vocals join the melodic vocals and heavier instrumentation, lifting the tempo and mood on the record.
‘Ultra insaniam’ is the album’s shortest song and as such, it’s a lot calmer in delivery. It’s actually a lot closer to Scandinavian melodic metal than anything else, which is certainly no bad thing. It’s also another really strong example of how creative one individual can be, as Krystian shows during its instrumental entirety. Crossing to the album’s latter-half, ‘Liberum arbitrum’ is gently choral but that gentleness leads into some of the most pummelling percussion so far.
In truth, it’s a record that flows in unexpected directions and is definitely the work of a musician trying to find their sound. ‘Liberum arbitrum’ is the album’s lengthiest song conversely to the one it follows, yet it’s better because of that fact. A lot doomier and earthier for me. ‘Haec vox’ features some truly beguiling guitar that’s retained throughout. The clean vocals are more front and center at times here, but Viamaer’s blackgaze/shoegaze influence does mean that they are still buried within the mix at times. The same can’t be said for the harsh vocal though.
Penultimate number ‘Magna paranoia’ strikes me as Viamaer’s most complete songs on In lumine lunae. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve now spent a good couple of hours with this record or because it just sounds a lot more rounded musically, but something’s definitely clicked. Closer ’Smaragdus somnium’ is another loverly instrumental piece. It rounds out the album in confident fashion.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, Viamaer is a band finding it’s sound. As the album progresses, that sound takes shape and grows in confidence. There’s already an acoustic session available on bandcamp that re-works some of the songs present here, so that tells you that Viamaer isn’t sitting still. A band that’s well worth your time.
You can stream and purchase In lumine lunae digitally below, where it's also available from Viamaer on CD:-
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