VELNIAS is a Black Metal band formed in Colorado in 2006. Having recently enjoyed their performance on their tour across Europe supporting KAMPFAR and HATE, I was thrilled to see one of their albums up for review. This year sees the reissue of their very first full-length album "Sovereign Nocturnal". This album was originally released in 2008, and has since then been released in a variety of different limited edition presses. It is now being reissued in a deluxe edition, along with new album artwork to boot.

"Sovereign Nocturnal" comprises a total of 3 songs, with a combined play-time of just over 40 minutes. The first of these songs, "Into Arms of Oak" starts off on a windy mountain top, with the lone owl's hooting gradually being joined by the instruments. This slowly swells whilst maintaining a somnambulant pace, tempered by an acoustic section that builds up into a crescendo, with all remaining instruments suddenly breaking in. This track has a very atmospheric feel, although some parts may take this atmospheric element slightly too far, with some sections thus gaining a rather lacklustre impression. The second track, "Risen of the Moor", starts off in much the same vein, with a slow intro that progressively waxes and wanes whilst still building up towards a sudden upsurge. Black Metal influences clearly shine through on this track, although more acoustic passages are also beautifully incorporated, with murkier and more epic parts also being melded into the song. In stark contrast to this, the title track "Sovereign Nocturnal" has a much darker, broodier feel to it, with almost hypnotic undercurrents that mesmerize the listener. The beginning of this track strongly reminded me of the song "Empire Falls" by PRIMORDIAL. The pace is also a nice mid-tempo speed; not quite as slow as the first track, it is also not as fast-paced as the second. Also containing majestic acoustic passages that morph into heavier tremolo picked riffs, the tone of this track is much more grandiose and enthralling. The changes in tempo add some nice variation to the album and keep each song from becoming pedestrian. Ending with the sounds of a distant thunderstorm, the album is brought around full circle, tying in with the windswept scenes of the intro to the first track.

Overall, this is a melancholic and doom-laden album interwoven with folk-like elements. If you're a fan of bands such as AGALLOCH or WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM then I'd definitely recommend giving this release a listen.