Review: Falls of Rauros “Vigilance Perennial”

Falls of Rauros “Vigilance Perennial”
Bindrune Recordings / Nordvis Produktion

Black metal can often be a harsh and truly punishing genre the majority of the time, but on the other side of things it can be a wondrous, atmospheric genre as well and Falls of Rauros falls under the latter category. That isn’t to say that Falls of Rauros doesn’t have their own style of punishing black metal because they do, it’s just sprinkled in here and there when needed and among the folk elements that they provide. “Vigilance Perennial” is the title of their newest effort that sports five songs of that wondrous and atmospheric black metal that was mentioned before. Now five songs doesn’t sound like a lot, but each song-save for two-clock in over ten minutes. Even though there are only five songs on this record there is enough content here to keep you listening and engaged all throughout your listen.

“Vigilance Perennial” kicks off with “White Granite” which leads you in with a very soft intro until around the two and a half minute mark where screeching vocals, drums and sharp riffs come through and everything seems to fall into place after that. This opening song provides you with plenty of atmosphere and vast soundscape for your mind to explore and wander. The more that you listen and the further that you get into the song the more that you get caught up in everything and lost in it all, and sooner rather than later as the album plays you realize that you have been sitting for an hour wondering where the time has gone. Falls of Rauros does a great job of setting the tone early and getting you engrossed and engaged with their music. At first the run times may seem daunting, but after listening that falls away as you become wrapped up in everything that it is that Falls of Rauros has to provide.

Each of these five songs that make an appearance on this record are wonderfully crafted and executed and as mentioned above you just end up getting fully sucked into the album. All of the songs on this record provide you with a good amount of both atmosphere that the folk elements provide and harsh biting sounds that the black metal provides. Each element works together to create a cohesive sound that makes it hard for you to stop listening. With beautiful intros that captivate you from the start, to the shredding black metal sprinkled among the wondrous soundscapes and atmospheres, these songs are unique and inviting. The deeper that you get into the album the more that you want to press play at the end of your listen and ultimately one turns into many.

At points you end up feeling your mind drift away into the soundscapes that Falls of Rauros provides. Each song from the musicianship to the production to the atmosphere, everything is well done and that just ultimately provides you with a great listen that won’t soon leave your head. Overall, this is a great record, one that you can listen to over and over again and find new things that you may not have heard the first time and not only that but this is just a record that you can listen to countless times without ever tiring of it. This is one that blackened folk metal fans wouldn’t want to skip out on.