ERSTWHILE – Ancient Steel

I became aware of this melancholy black metal duo not that long ago thanks to the brilliant and ever-reliable Regimental Records who released the Steeling of a Soul album by Erstwhile on CD.

This 3-track EP is hauntingly effective and drenched in an impressively solemn atmosphere that is underlined and enhanced by all the lo-fi aesthetics of the blackened gem. These guys keep it simple in terms of riffs and melodies, and that works splendidly throughout, but it does feel like a layered output in many respects. Grim and morose yet strangely contemplative and darkly alluring somehow, this raw and unpolished gem from the Bandcamp underground has a lot going for it and the aura that its three compositions conjure up is stirring but in a charmingly understated manner. Not a glimmer of optimism shines through the gloom, which suits me just fine, and fans of Sjel av Natten by Forgotten Woods should make a note of Ancient Steel.