EORONT is an Atmospheric Black Metal project hailing from the city of Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, Russia. Yes, that Siberia. They formed in 2012 and have issued one demo, one EP, and three full-length albums, the latest of which, "Gods Have No Home," was released November 6, 2020. Like any music project, they've had multiple members enter and exit, and have welcomed a plethora of guest musicians supporting their productions.

The band has a number of statements on their social media sites which I think are significant. First, they reveal the origins of the name "Eoront" as being a neologism invented by vocalist and guitarist Foltath, referring to a "fantastic world with its own legends, myths, traditions and structure. Despite the fact that at the moment there are no direct references to stories from this world in lyrics, thoughts and fantasies about this place are always present in the process of creating music and in its atmosphere."

Second, they make their position as artists clear: "We ask you to respect us, as artists and humans, we ask to remember that EORONT is a literary and fantasy, musical and theatrical act of creativity." They aren't pushing political, religious, or ideological agendas. They're creating music and exploring art. In fact, the lyrics of this album, with the exception of the title track, come from Ukrainian-born Russian poet Max Voloshin (1877-1932). He wrote during the Russian Silver Age and suffered a less than stellar reputation amongst his peers. Of himself, he said, "Everywhere I go, especially among literary types, I sense myself to be a beast among men - something out of place." Metal poet if I ever heard one. I do wonder, though, what his take would be hearing his poems being set to music by a Black Metal band.

"Gods Have No Home" comprises six tracks and spans 49 minutes, 59 seconds. Not sure if that is significant, but it's like seeing all 1's or 2's lined up across a digital clock. Bit of a coincidence that reminds you of the quirkiness of probability. The album is heavier than a lot of Atmospheric albums and certainly has more continuity and internal consistency. If not for the flute and acoustic interludes as well as the field recordings, I might suggest it isn't Atmospheric at all.

Each track is a multi-layered arrangement which moves the listener through a wide range of emotional spaces from forlorn musings to epic crescendos to brutal assaults. My favorite tracks are "Wormwood," "The Bonfires Of Time," "Gods Have No Home," and "The Midday Herbs." The other tracks are solid, but for me feel more like tradition Black Metal renderings with heavy reliance of tremolo riffing and blast beats. Not a bad thing, but I prefer the more complex structures. I should also note that the production levels of this album are excellent.

Overall, "Gods Have No Home" is an excellent Black Metal exploration. It's immersive, multifaceted, and cohesive. I have to admit that I am new to EORONT, but this album intrigues me. I've been hearing some excellent Metal come out of Russia in recent years. Makes me want to break out the Dostoevsky and Bulgakov and enjoy a lowball or six of vodka.