Osgraef – Reveries of the Arcane Eye (Arcane Death Metal of the Void)

 

A band so obscure it’s not even on Encylopaedia Metallum yet? Then you know it’s elite. Another hint of greatness here is I can’t find a lick of fucking information about these guys. Are they guys? Are they human? Probably no to the second question. They’re probably not even physical beings. Black metal or blackened death metal, or any variety thereof, that takes the arcane approach is a superior zeitgeist in this modern era, and Osgraef, whoever they are, summon the most cruel of musical forms in this vein with Reveries of the Arcane Eye.

   

There’s a lot to absorb; it’s a megalithic Gothic novel from the 19th century; no simple words will suffice to explain it all. You inevitably leave out subplots and lesser characters and then the story itself is lost in simplicity. Reveries of the Arcane Eye was not meant to be simple. Knowing nothing about Osgraef is part of the intrigue, and part of the lore. The most even the label provides is that they’re “veterans,” but from where, and of what? We can settle on the arcane, for certain. Each track here is another chapter in an epic-length poem of decadent aesthetic. Constantly shifting their focus and obscuring what’s next, the band reveals an absolute mastery of the darker forms of black and death, touching only very vaguely on traditional themes like vampirism, evil, and the occult. What remains is a cavernous recess of hate that sucks the listener in and leaves them completely empty. All soul-like energy is replaced with darkness, all meaning with void.

 

Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls

Osgraef – Reveries of the Arcane Eye
Amor Fati Productions
Cover Art: Unknown
4.7 / 5