Band:	Zgard
Album:	Reclusion
Style:	Pagan black metal
Release date:	January 2012

01. Ice Indifference
02. Reclusion
03. Winter Withcraft
04. Eternity
05. Rise Of Coldness
06. Despair
07. Weeping Goddess
08. In The Roots Of The World Tree

Zgard is yet another one man black metal project, this one hailing from Ukraine. Reclusion is the second album released under this moniker and is dubbed both pagan and atmospheric black. Pagan stems from the artist's desire to showcase Ukrainian roots?

I'll just dub it midpaced melodic black metal drenched in synthesizers set on that "ice" setting. Not the cold chill of a harsh, biting wind? but the sort of sparkly, tingly sunlight reflecting off the ice sound. Vocals are pretty much the rasped standard for the genre. Beyond just the synths, occasionally other elements are tossed in to try and enhance the cold, including, well, my aforementioned wind.

Reclusion is well produced, inoffensive bla(h)ck metal music. It plods along, neither kicking ass nor taking souls. The compositions are not grandiose and jaw-droppingly beautiful like their fellow Ukes, Drudkh. And thanks to the near ever-present synths, not stark and cutting cold.

When I got my last package from Solitude Productions this was the first CD I checked out and yet I've cranked out some half dozen reviews for them and a few other albums from other sources before getting around to pounding words. Why? Even after two months of occasional to regular spins it's never manage to awake, evoke or inspire anything in me.

I just found it acceptable background music at times, but not compelling enough to be something I'd want to actively listen to.

Ultimately, you have an hour's worth of medium speed melodic black metal that comes across at times like Dimmu Drudkh. While this approach is not up my alley, it will likely be of interest to many of you.