Swedish Lustre is an undeniable proof that one-man ambient black metal is not the prerogative of some solitary US melancholic soul holed up somewhere in the confines of his bedroom. Nachtzeit, the sole driver behind Lustre, is just as adept at ephemeral ethereal post-rock, but as much as I found A Glimpse of Glory soothing it has failed to make a strong impression on me.

Billed as a combination of Burzum and Summoning (I am a huge fan) playing in the Skepticism studio, this was a tall order to match. Distorted guitars not being a pre-requisite for a successful melancholic music, whatever the genre, their first appearance about 12 min into the opener This Mighty Sight is almost a relief of sorts. Not that music like A Glimpse of Glory needs an explosion, but all this pregnant anticipation must lead to at least a culmination, and the one disappointingly never comes, not on any single track of this 40 min three-composition opus. Synth progressions are constantly trying to build up to something, while percussion comes mostly in the way of rustling cymbals, but in the end everything stays at the etch-a-sketch form, without colors, even if dark ones, filling up the shapes. Repetition, and how one could not have it on lengthy tracks like what A Glimpse of Glory presents, is not a problem, but the lack of conclusion is, at least with me. Obviously nature inspired, perhaps Nachtzeit has a different vision of it. For him it is an endless flow without peaks, for me things have to have their origin, zenith and termination.

On the other hand A Glimpse of Glory is incredibly conducive to conjuring up rather specific images. This Mighty Sight mostly takes place by the sea, the whole track is a walk by the coast, with waves crushing and seagulls cowing in the background, albeit there is a little detour into the Snake Pit where the only vocal verse of the album is delivered in a slithering cold tone. Lunar Light is pensive, tragic and monumental (I can hear a Skepticism chord here), where keys are more swimming and fluid, wolfs are howling in moonlight, while percussion, although now blasting, is so hidden into the mix it is still no more than a rustle. The closer Amongst the Trees brings out the birds chip (we are amongst the trees after all) with keyboard melody sounding almost uplifting.

I had a big business proposal to write this week, and with the guys constantly bothering me in the office I had trouble concentrating. Ultimately, having lost patience, I have put Lustre on and the headphones allowed me to drift away from the hustle and bustle of the company life to somewhere in the woods. Great background music this album is, I made some good progress writing, but every time A Glimpse of Glory was the ONLY thing my attention was focused on it fell short. The verse of This Mighty Sight, however, is Mighty Poetic and the black cover with the runic sign projects mystery and infinity.