Review Summary: Excellence through brevity.
The English duo behind Axis of Light have quite possibly achieved their most impressive work to date with the release of their latest EP
Northern Ascendancy. Clocking in at a measly seven minutes shared between two tracks, this black metal hors d'oeuvre manages to outshine most full-length albums offered forth by competitors in the genre.
Since their initial greeting in 2012 the two-piece have consistently delivered quality material, doling out superb slices of brazen black metal shrouded in the characteristic waves of overdrive and purposefully poor production. Taking things a step further than their previous work, opening track ‘Eyes Unto the Hills’ parades a slightly adventurous melody which lends the piece a subtly hopeful quality, removed somewhat from the band’s darker and more straightforward debut. Distant drumming and tortured vocals reverberate across the atmospheric foundation, built on the swells and dips in the high-level distortion wielded by twin guitars. The bands signature sound endures, while the newer approach of sprawling, almost theatrical riffing comes to the forefront. Following seamlessly from this, ‘Awakening’ absorbs the flow from the previous melody and envelops it in a mournful sea of slightly slower tremolo picking and cymbal crashes. The vocals are almost snatched away in the maelstrom, however their guiding pattern and sorrowful tone is clear. Most interesting is the expertly delivered spoken-word sample that concludes the piece. Almost hinting at a Nazi-style rallying speech, its unintelligibility and positioning in the obscurity the production provides condemns it to mystery. Both tracks shine for different reasons, complementing one another perfectly and rivaling as some of Axis of Light's best material in their undersized discography.
Northern Ascendancy is an experience that proves it takes only a moment to let go and lose yourself, and although it is slightly unsatisfying cursed as it is by ephemerality, every time it winds down the prospect of reliving the EP is impossible to ignore.
