VALDRIN is a Melodic Black Metal band based in the United States. This is the band’s fourth studio album, and it has eleven songs. “Neveafter” is first. The opening tones are both heavy and melodic, and the slow groove is tasty. When the vocals come in, they are vile, but a delicate melody remains in the song, especially in the lead guitar work and the clean guitar interlude. “Seven Swords (In the Arsenal of Steel)” further showcases the band’s vast bag of songwriting skills with a pretty keyboard let melody and some fanciful guitar work, among the madness of the riffs and vocals. This obviously is not your father’s Black Metal.

 “Paladins of Ausadjur” has some nice guitar harmonies, and so far, the band is providing a diverse display of songwriting and musicianship. Listen to the tight meter shifting…this band fires equally on all cylinders. “The Hierophant” is thicker, and overgrown with sounds, but again, a smooth melody line runs underneath. What they create in this song is rousing and exciting, as it is heavy and aggressive. “Holy Matricide” features a somber clean guitar opening with whispers of filth and vile thoughts, leading to a sturdy track with plenty of bottom end heaviness. The title track is the crown jewel on the album. There is a sober combination of depressive and hopeless tones that are quite charming, with the aggressiveness of Black Metal, but that melody line is gorgeous.

 “Two Carrion Talismans” has wicked darkness to it, almost like the fast spreading of a disease. But again, amidst the madness runs a strong and pretty melody line. It’s like a white rose growing in the pit of Hell. “Hymn to the Convergence” closes the album; a three-minute instrumental of charming keyboards and piano notes. Overall, this was a fantastic album. The band reached deep into their bag and display a collection of diverse songs that have two things in common…a deep sense of melody, and a deep sense of aggression. It’s the combination of the two that make the album as good as it is.