ÄERA is an atmospheric black metal band from Germany, who formed in 2019. Their latest release, “ Phantast,” is their second full-length album; they have also released an EP. “Phantast,” is, simply put, a killer release. Review over. Just kidding. Why is it so good? Because this is exactly the kind of black metal that never ceases to impress me. It has all the hallmarks of the genre’s more violent side, such as the screaming vocals, fast tempo, and monstrous rhythm section. The genre, over the years, has grown quite expansive and this album embraces that side as well. “Phantast,” has incredible production and a warm sound—I don’t know if this is being released on vinyl but I bet it would sound great on wax. It has a density to it that keeps the music dark and heavy but it’s open enough to allow their sound to be deep and unbound. That’s also a great way to describe the music in this four song, 41 minute long album. Of course, the songs are long and if that isn’t your thing, then maybe this won’t be either. But it just might surprise you because none of them feel as long as they really are.

“Kosmos” opens the album with racing riffs, crashing cymbals, and sweltering double bass. A blackened scream pierces the night as the band fires on all cylinders. A catchy groovy quickly settles in while the vocalist rips the atmosphere to pieces with his abrasive approach. As the song progresses, the atmosphere changes, very subtle, allowing the sound to expand its boundaries. That, in turn, makes the gentle moment around the 3:30 mark sound very natural. It’s almost like a self contained world yet it still fits into the mists of the rest of the song. When the black metal returns, it does so all the more aggressive and stronger. Yet it’s also more sweeping and majestic, especially near the end. “Empor” starts as an emotive song that is akin to looking up into the night sky; it’s calming in a mysterious way. Insane screams pushing the song into extremities and the guitars/bass flow like a raging river. The middle part of the song pulls back on the tempo, the bass peeking out from behind the distortion. Like clouds passing over the moon during a cold Autumn night, the keys in the final part of the song hovering over the music.

“Schattenkreuz,” is the longest song on the album, just shy of 15 minutes. The beginning is acoustic, very well written with layers that build up until the song hits like a ton of bricks with ridiculously heavy bass at the 2:46 mark. These heavier parts echo the beginning, as they two grow and swell as the seconds tick by. They crest at the 4:37, rolling snare bringing with it a vicious vocal attack. The band is in kill mode, blitzing their way through to the 8 minute mark where everything is pulled back in favor of a more introspective approach. This part also grows along a path, with plenty of help from the drums, until the band returns to their black metal blitzkrieg. The final song, “Fleisch und Knochen” is perhaps the most intense and bleakest of the four songs. It’s also the shortest, a more compact and refined version of their sound is more easily displayed here. This song is more about the riffs and rumbling rhythm but these traditional aspects don’t get in the way of their sound, everything is still very atmospheric.

ÄERA’s “Phantast,” is, all at the same time, a hard hitting, melodic, atmospheric, adventurous, and clever album that will satisfy any fans of the genre that want more out of their black metal than just raw total satan tropes.