FROSTMOON ECLIPSE – Rustworn

This sparkling new EP by the Italian black metallers Frostmoon Eclipse is a deeply atmospheric gem, and it is fabulous to see that their uniquely evocative brand of contemplative, pitch-black melancholy remains intact. I was thoroughly impressed with “Worse Weather to Come” (2019) and “Rustworn”, which contains two new songs and three live tracks (the latter date from a gig in Italy in 2018), is a most welcome addition to the ensemble’s vast discography.

The title track and “Relentless, Circling” are strangely beautiful things of constant wonder and bring about an overwhelming sense of sadness and despair in the listener. Exquisitely executed and harboring an intimate quality, these 2021 recordings are full of brooding motifs and figures, and they strike just the right balance between the powerful and the sensitive due to their many nuances. The live tracks are raw and not unlike a good soundboard recording, but what makes them a worthwhile listen is how insanely convincing they come across and the way in which they are delivered, which the epic “Torn Apart by the Withering Voices of Deceit” is a superb example of. Lorenzo Sassi’s vocals are fully engaging and there is a presence to them that adds an emotional pull to all the tunes.

Bitterness and longing come in many different shapes and sizes, and these seasoned veterans have spawned a yearning soundtrack that conjures up images of a bleak autumn sun drifting across an open, lonely space. This is a uniformly elegant and a passionate 34-minute opus that serves as a fantastic follow-up to “Worse Weather to Come” and as a teaser for the group’s upcoming record. In fact, I could easily see “Rustworn” bringing in some new fans as it is surprisingly accessible in many ways.