AITVARAS — Aitvaras (review)

AITVARAS — Aitvaras album cover Album · 2019 · Melodic Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
siLLy puPPy
Named after a nature spirit in Lithuanian mythology, AITVARAS is a modern day melodic black metal band from Lienz, Austria which has been around for quite some time but so far has only released one album. The band existed from 2006-2011 and then reformed in 2017 finally delivering its self-titled debut in 2019 on the Anthrazeit Record label.

The band has featured the same lineup under both formations which includes Patrick Reiter (bass), Eugen Klammsteiner (drums), Thomas Pichler (guitar), Johannes Moser (guitar) and Andreas Kaucic (vocals). This album features eight tracks at around 47 minutes. This is basically the standard second wave black metal affair with the usual tremolo guitar picking, blastbeat furor and raspy tortured vocals. Post-metal elements also are mixed into the fabric of the album’s run.

The music delivers both clear arpeggiated guitar moments with melodic guitar licks that offer moments of respite as well as the typical frenetic bombast from the camp of Darkthrone, Satyricon or Immortal. The music delivers a nice mix off tones in its guitar deliveries and the production is fairly decent for a modern black metal release. Everything is audible including the bass lines without sounding too polished. There seems to be distant atmospheres at times in the background but for the most part AITVARAS plays a rather raw style of black metal.

While the atmospheric melodic black metal approach is the status quo here, some tracks like “Pestkammer” are more in the post-black metal camp with a Shining like depressive black metal secondary feature. There post-metal tracks are rather chugging in nature with a twangy guitar lick accompanying choppy power chords and a more relaxed feel which contrast starkly with the more classic second wave moments. Sometimes the two styles mix with varying results.

Well, this really is about as generic as modern black metal can get really. A completely by the books, copy and paste stylistic approach that offers nothing that hasn’t been done a million times before. The black metal paradigm has been pushed into so many directions that a basic style like this is rather tedious and dull especially after you’ve experienced black metal in its vast expansiveness that has evolved into every nook and cranny of hybridization. Nothing wrong with the raw back to basics approach but AITVARAS doesn’t really animate this much into a compelling set of tracks. The musicians are clearly competent but the creativity is lacking. This is an OK release but ultimately doesn’t beckon a return visit.
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