Conjured from within emerald visions of times that never were, the entity behind the mysterious Strix Akesis has presented us with another offering under a different banner. Ghosts of Lietus is the combination of black metal rawness and intensity, with the melodic and triumphant riffs and aesthetics of traditional heavy metal. Much like Strix Akesis, there’s a punchy uniqueness to Ghosts of Lietus. With a strong melodic backing, the riffs carry the weight of this album, pushing a fantastical atmosphere of verdant swords and sorcerers. What I love as well is how this album feels like much more of a cohesive concept than the Strix Akesis albums. Each track on Dream of the Viridian King feels like a chapter in a story that is being spun, and this album feels like only the beginning of the story.
Dream of the Viridian King retains its raw black metal roots through mid-paced drumming that seamlessly shifts through d-beats and frantic blast beats that mesh perfectly with the ethereal yet soul piercing guitar riffs that enchants the listener from the start. Tracks like Tower on the Hill, The Iron Rings Alife, and The World’s Crown in my opinion captures those strong guitar elements and showcases a mixture of those blast beats, and melodic passages in such an enchanting and charming way. While the vocals are rather minimal throughout the album, they attack the listener in a rabid, vitriolic bark that punctuates the atmosphere with unrelenting aggression and raw emotion, that intertwines perfectly with the nostalgically triumphant instrumentation.
To me this album feels like the beginning of something bigger, like the story isn’t fully told just yet. But, even if they decide not to continue on with this, this album stands on its own and has created its own niche alongside its Strix Akesis cousin. With a bright and colorful sound that’s still as sharp as a razor’s edge, these bards have created a phenomenal collection of ballads and hymns that captures the mighty presence of the Viridian King. Hopefully there will be more hymns sung to the king in the future, but for now I know I’ll be obsessing over this album.