Warmoon Lord - Battlespells
Werewolf Records
Black Metal
8 songs (38'41")
Release year: 2021
Reviewed by Alex

Warmoon Lord is the work of one man Vechi Vrajitor, or, more down to Earth, Juuso Peltola, also in Musta Risti, Old Sorcery and Megahammer. Given that the second album Battlefields is on Werewolf Records (run by Mr. Werwolf himself Lauri Penttila), one might surmise quality black metal will be in the offing. Quality black metal indeed we get on Battlefields, but the album is a somewhat different experience, not bestial black metal or something along the lines of Satanic Warmaster or Sargeist.

The impression Battlefields will be pursuing an epic angle persists from the opening moments of tremolo intro Virtus Tenebris. Without waiting or hesitation Warmoon Lord plunges us into the world all their own, heroic, somewhat fairy tale painted, ancient, cinematic, while not overly brutal. The archaic, battle worn black metal blasts out in Purging Nefarious Vortex, but Warmoon Lord doesn’t fall into the sameness trap, and covers many riffs and rhythm patters in this 4’ track. Just like that, Battlefields manages to touch on the variety of riffs and moods in Empowered by Battlespells, after macabre first 2-3 minutes, but the main thrust is to preserve this orkish-like epicness, for which a croaky sinister over-the-top shriek voice is an excellent fit. Warmoon Lord can be half brutal and half cosmic, as in non-stop In Perennial Twilight, all the way to its touching dissolving outro. Many other facets of black metal get their moments on Battlefields. Folky melodic open of Of a Moribund Vision, with some tasteful synths woven in, are followed by equal amount minor-tuned whirl and quite biting battleground glory. Oracles of War is another soaring melodic track hinting at prehistoric powers waking up somewhere in the churning abyss. The Key of the Moonpiercer, with it brass instruments, chanting and female pastoral vocals, hint at a Summoning moment before soaring soldering on brings comparisons with Wormwood. Listening to Warmoon Lord’s rich fantasy world, it was actually fun to think of what other black metal acts I can hear in this music, without being totally copycatted. There is above mentioned Wormwood in its melodic glory, some freezing touch of Taake, gliding folkishness of Kampfar, and tenacity of old Keep of Kalessin circa Armada. In my highest compliment though, this is the closest music I have heard that I can compare to Windir, yet again placed in the world of a fairy tale book rather than inspired by a real geographical remote Norwegian fjord.

Vechi Vrajitor certainly knew what he was doing on Battlefields and success is pretty obvious, even if Battlefields is not entirely groundbreaking. The latter, seemingly, wasn’t the goal anyway, and I have enjoyed the album quite a bit.

Killing Songs :
Of a Moribund Vision, The Key of the Moonpiercer, Oracles of War
Alex quoted 82 / 100
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