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Vallendusk - Black Clouds Gathering



8.2 | 86 votes |
Release date: 18 April 2013
Style: Atmospheric black metal

Owners:

65 have it
11 want it


01. Fragments Of Light
02. To Wander And Beyond
03. Shades Of Grey
04. Into The Mist
05. Among The Giants
06. Realms Of The Elder
07. Land Of The Lurking Twilight

Guest review by
BloodJuNkie
Rating:
9.2
It's unusual to find atmospheric black metal bands coming from Indonesia, but Vallendusk, coming from Jakarta, succeeded in introducing themselves with a very good album. Black Clouds Gathering is their debut after releasing their first EP called Vallendusk in 2012.

The album has a great start with "Fragments Of Light" and a great ending with "Land Of The Lurking Twilight". One of the features of Black Clouds Gathering is the awesome folk influences, especially in songs like "Fragments Of Light" and "Realms Of The Elder". Great acoustic guitar works followed by great melodies. For those of you who appreciate melodies; the melodies in this album make it lively so that even the non-preferable tracks won't bore you at all. On the contrary, the melodies are the source of strength in this album. The vocals are decent and most of the lyrics talk about nature, and they are suitable for the album's atmosphere. The cover art is decent too; it's neither lame nor creative. It still gives you that awesome feeling where you would like to listen to this album in the winter.

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published 27.12.2013 | Comments (6)

The Indonesian metal scene is more known for its brutal death metal but Vallendusk try and break that mould by showing that the scene has a lot more to offer by serving up some seriously high quality atmospheric black metal. Unlike the majority of atmospheric black metal bands that operate with that more depressive mid-tempo sound, Vallendusk differentiate themselves by employing a faster & more upbeat tempo with undoubted post & folk influences. The standout element of this record is without a doubt the excellent guitar work. Whether it's the melodic hooks or acoustic folk passages, it will grip you throughout.

Black Clouds Gathering consists of 7 tracks with the shortest track being 8 minutes long and is admittedly not the most varied record out there, so it will not suit those with a short attention span. But if epic melody-driven atmospheric black metal is your thing, I seriously suggest you give this a spin.

Listen here.

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Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 414 users
20.04.2013 - 20:56
Rating: 9
Skyum
This album is truly amazing!
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22.04.2013 - 20:44
growl_kid
Heard so many good ratings....today i'll listen
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23.04.2013 - 06:56
Rating: 9
Excellent album, keeps you listening from beginning to end.
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06.08.2013 - 15:34
Rating: 8
Erik M.
With 7 long songs this album is massive. Really great stuff, albeit not very original.
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24.08.2013 - 05:39
Rating: 10
phanto
Flawless production. Excellent sound. Lots of energy, but still very easy to listen to.
There are some definite folk influences in the melodies, but these guys have most likely been inspired by the riffs of other similar bands rather than European folk. Or maybe EU folk is big in Indonesia, what do I know.
Great album in any case. A definite top album of the year.

EDIT: I'm uping my rating to 10.
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26.09.2013 - 11:37
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Excellent atmoblack release. Probable album of the year for black hipsters.

Nothing post about this as I'm 7 minutes in and i get signs of a good melodic/prog black album. Stellar production and execution. Top drawer stuff.
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29.09.2013 - 08:52
3rdWorld
China was a neat
Almost Fallujah-ish at times. Pretty damn impressive though.
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04.10.2013 - 04:10
BreadGod
Account deleted
I love it. This is one of my picks for best album of the year.
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07.11.2013 - 04:01
Rating: 10
phanto
At the moment the best album of 2013. Doubt anything better will come out in nov/dec.
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15.11.2013 - 15:24
Rating: 9
Michaelis
One from the best albums from this year, definitely top5.
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01.07.2014 - 19:15
telephonebear
Account deleted
Where can i get this?
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19.09.2014 - 19:57
Rating: 8
mz
Very nice indeed.
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Giving my ears a rest from music.
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21.12.2014 - 13:35
Rating: 9
Dark Cornatus
Powerslave
Elite
I've listened to this album A LOT. The last 3 songs are amazing in particular, especially Realms of the Eldar (that riff!). One of my favourites that i've heard recently!
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