ENTERRE VIVANT is an Atmospheric Black Metal band hailing from Japan and formed in 2019. This is the band’s third full-length album, and it has 10 songs. “Jaken” is first. It has spoken word, underneath some odd instrumentation, and a good deal of tension. “Chuto” follows, and it opens with clean, somber guitar tones and strings. It segues into more aggressive tones, but the sad, tortured melodies remain strong. “Jain” has a combination of anguished piano notes and nearly whispered harsh vocals. Again, the aggression remains strong but so do the somber melodies. Keyboards add another layer of intrigue to the song as well.

“Don’yoku” features the squawking of crows underneath a bed of old school keyboards, that segues into firmer, more aggressive tones. Mixing in spoken words and even some traditional Eastern elements, this band is very well rounded. “Shin’i” is another keyboard rich song, and I say why not use every instrument available? The tone is both sad and tortured, and in the background, you can hear laments of said torture. The main riff even picks up a melody and runs with it, and the vocals actually tease you at times with a distinct cadence. “Kigo” features some low brass notes that are damn bossy, as well as ominous tones, as if the world is ending. Delicate piano notes play well with the tortured vocals.

“Ryoshita” closes the album. It features traditional singing, like you might find in a church, overtop of bird screams. The contrast is both stark and vital. The method of a longer song followed by a shorter one, and the intermixing of spoken word pieces with traditional Black Metal offerings keeps this album surprising, as well as interesting. You never know what might be around the corner. In a genre that is often dominated by traditional FWOBM sounds, this album stands out as bold, and daring.