Unreqvited - "Emphatica"

Genre : Instrumental atmospheric black metal, Post-rock

Released : May 22nd, 202

Label : Northern Silence Prouctions

FFO : God Is An Astronaut, Harakiri For The Sky, Les Discrets

Unreqvited is a one-man atmospheric black metal band whom I discovered through this community collaboration.

Judging from the album art, yes I was expecting some moody black metal but what I wasn't expecting however, was the symphonic element to this album and its strong focus on orchestration.

In fact, the impression that stayed with me the most after multiple listens is just how well composed and arranged this thing is.

It's fairly easy to get lost in the multiple layers of instrumentation that weave the sound of this record and to get absorbed in the very evocative atmosphere of "Emphatica" despite it being essentially instrumental.

I say essentially since there are indeed some vocals at work, whether it is the epic choirs or dramatic black metal high pitched shrieks, but they operate more like additional layers of instruments rather than a voice that leads the compositions forward.

The album has a very organic flow to it and each track feeds into the next very nicely.

The mix of black metal, post-rock and orchestral elements work tremendously well and give "Emphatica" a distinctly cinematic feel to it, which ensnares the listener in its enchantingly melancholic universe.