CHAMBER OF UNLIGHT – realm of the night – RED LP

Black metal – Transparent Red version – Werewolf Records

Now, four years later, CHAMBER OF UNLIGHT reveal their stand-to-attention debut full-length, Realm of the Night. Here, the duo see the arrival of guitarist Leper, and along with the live lineup which includes fellow guitarist VnoM and bassist Infection, their membership becomes a veritable goldmine of Finnish underground metal excellence. However, Realm of the Night is undeniably a BLACK METAL work, and one whose essence is still steeped in the ancients whilst emitting a refreshing air of modernity. The attack is tight yet ghoulish, the song constructions winding but ever pulsing forward. The synth work is subtle but mesmerizing, giving a grand (and diabolical) aspect to CHAMBER OF UNLIGHT only previously hinted at. The production possesses that ever-elusive balance between grime and gleam, keeping proceedings proudly grounded in black metal but not masking the band’s consummate professionalism. All told, Realm of the Night favorably harkens to the lost classics of the late ’90s, particularly those released by Necropolis Records or No Fashion – which, in a paradoxical twist, gives both band and record their refreshing air of modernity.