Vnder A Crvmbling Moon – II: Aging & Formless (Recommendation)

Vnder A Crvmbling Moon have returned from their house on the hill called I: Oblivion and once again pour their mixture of Doom and Post-Metal over the unsuspecting people already in sunny Spring-mode.

What immediately catches the eye is the gorgeous cover, which looks like a golden surface covered with thick, black soot. This streak of gold paves its way like a raging stream, which is an excellent metaphor for the music of Vnder A Crvmbling Moon: between all this Sludge and Doom there is always this beauty that shines clearly through.

The opening duo of “Nomad” and “Nocturnal Passenger” showcases the qualities that were established on the debut: riffs upon riffs upon riffs. The synths on instrumental interlude “Procession” and the calm clean vocals on “Fall…Still” serve as kind of vantage points in this mountain range of an album. While on your one hour long journey through this massif you’ll find thick black layers riffs but also uncover those beautifully crafted melodies like the centre of the otherwise heavy “Breach the Sky” or the album-closer with biblical proportions “Bury Me With The Fallen Trees“.

The color palette of Vnder A Crvmbling Moon may have shifted a bit but the brushes used here are still as thick and expressive as found on the debut. Anyone with only a hint of sympathy for Doom-infused Sludge Metal combined with a sense of melody will find a safe contender for their Metal end-of-the-year-lists.