Band:	Skagos
Album:	Chariot Sun Blazing
Style:	Atmospheric black metal
Release date:	December 21, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Risen
02. In The Burned Out Shell
03. Which In Turn Meet The Sea
04. Broken Branches November Moon
05. Ecstacy Draws Its Wings
06. Whose Wings Call Forth The Tides
07. An Endless Ocean Of Wildflowers

Skagos present Chariot Sun Blazing as a perfect atmospheric black soundtrack for the cold, harsh, wintry Northern environment.

Skagos is a Canadian atmospheric black metal band masterminded by the talented duo of guitarist/lead vocalist Ray Hawes and multi-instrumentalist Isaac Symonds. Releasing their full-length debut Ást two years after their formation back in 2007, Skagos subsequently unleashed their sophomore effort Anarchic in 2013 before entering hibernation. They now return after an 11-year slumber with their third offering, Chariot Sun Blazing; can they pick up from where they left off after such a long time?

Self-described on their Bandcamp page as "an altar of life, crafted by living hands, guided by a living mind, in a world dead, but ever dreaming", the duo offer an indication of how they wish to guide listeners through the naturalistic soundscapes of their music. The band's style is similar to that of fellow genre legend Panopticon, who they collaborated with back in 2011 on the split album Skagos / Panopticon. The previous two albums both featured hefty hour-length runtimes, whereas Chariot Sun Blazing clocks in at less than 40 minutes. Eschewing 10-minute drawn-out epics, Skagos have opted to go for much shorter song lengths (the longest, "Which In Turn Meet The Sea", doesn't reach the 8-minute mark). However, the shorter runtime has no effect on the quality of this band's return; in fact, this compactness just means you can experience its beauty on repeat listening rather than needing to find the time to fit it into one sitting.

Chariot Sun Blazing transports you to the stunningly majestic wilderness of the band's Canadian motherland, where you feel subdued to every element from every cold breeze, to every gentle falling snowflake. Slow sections feature a stunning variety of classic instrumentation, from sweet, melancholic acoustic strings and soft clean backing singing in the vein of Agalloch, to majestic, sweeping violin, enchanting keys, and horns that add a shroud of mysticism. This is a representation of gentle streams flowing through a blanket of thick white snow, while trees stand motionless, their pines covered in sheets of snow, with birds quietly chirping in their nests amongst the branches. These slower sections build up to ferocious sections in which you feel the environment go from tranquil to inhospitable. Desperate shrieks cry out like a supernatural being that's at one with the natural environment. The frenzied blast beats and relentless tremolos represent the changing of gentle streams to rapid flowing rivers crashing against rocks, whilst the calm breeze turns to an unrelenting blizzard.

I believe Skagos have made a strong return here, crafting a more-than-ideal soundtrack for the cold and often harsh season we find ourselves in. The band also mark their return with several stylistic changes, from the greater classic instrument orchestrations to intense post-black build-ups. This adds more dynamics to the songwriting, ultimately differentiating Skagos from the majority of modern atmospheric black metal bands.