ECLIPSUS – Yürei
- Posted on 13-07-2021
This moody offering by the US entity Eclipsus is a cold and bleak-sounding black metal opus with a slightly monotonous albeit effectively hypnotic feel to it. With an emphasis on forlorn melodies and melancholy atmospheres, there are plenty of long, brooding passages that evoke visions of desolate fields and wastelands for one to immerse oneself in here, and this is definitely one of those discs that grew on me the more I listened to it.
The sound is suitably raw and harsh, which underlines the gloomy nature of the song material, and contrary to what countless other black metals outfits churn out, "Yürei" is by no means a one-dimensional piece of work or devoid of substance. There are captivating moments to be enjoyed here and the morose aura of the actual music is so prominent that it is impossible not to sit back and marvel at how dark and heartfelt it all is. The lyrics also carry weight and depth, which means that they complement the inner images conjured up by the music rather nicely. The two most effectively haunting tracks are arguably "Desperate, Aokigahara" and "Mourning, Aokigahara" as they appear slightly more varied and mesmerizing than the others, but there is a good flow to the whole album and none of the songs are underwhelming or uninspired. Going back to the lyrics for a bit, there is a theme and concept to the record, but you should look into that yourself when listening to it.
As is often the case with depressive black metal (if that term indeed applies here as I think Eclipsus has more to offer than many similar-sounding acts belonging in that category), one must be in the right frame of mind to digest these five lengthy tunes properly and allow it to get under your skin. Recommended!