German black metal has long had a penchant for being very epic, atmospheric, and all around transcendent, but boy does Zalmoxis really take those qualities up to 11 with this release. The one man project of an individual going only by "Entheogen," with A Nocturnal Emanation Zalmoxis offers a single, 25 minute track, but to say it brings a lot to the table would be an understatement. Here a midtempo, highly hypnotizing black metal approach dominates, reinforced by a superb sense of melody, phenomenal drumming, and quite the impressive vocal delivery, that pleasantly alternates between traditional black metal shrieks and deep, imposing clean howls.
What makes A Nocturnal Emanation so enjoyable is probably the fact that it's the first black metal release in a while where every aspect of the instrumentation is on fucking point. Neither the bass, the vocals, the drums, nor the guitars really ever seem to overshadow each other, each being delightfully audible and well mixed in the overall production. Far from any one of these compositional ingredients dominating the others, they all seem to complement and back each other up effectively, propelling the composition ever forward to a beautiful, emotionally intense climax.
A brief though highly satisfying listen, the only real complaint that can be leveled against A Nocturnal Emanation is that it isn't longer and ends too quickly. But I think the fact that it's more likely to make listeners beg for more than it is to make them scream for it to end is definitely a good sign. Here's hoping more comes from Entheogen within the near future, because I most definitely need it.
A Nocturnal Emanation is quite possibly the best thing black metal released up to this point in the year. Immerse yourself with a good pair of headphones.
