KRAYL is a Black Metal band from Kalyan, Maharashtra, India. This is their Second EP and second release in 2020. They also released a split album with ERROIAK called ''Semita Gloriae''. This is the solo project of Svartblod, a French-Indian multi-instrumentalist, he literally plays everything on this EP. Most of his other bands revolve around Instrumental Black Metal, Ambient Black and Experimental Black Metal.

I would be lying if I said I was a fan of Black Metal, I have trouble processing the lyrical style and was always comparing it to the shriek you make when you stub your toe in the middle of the night. The vocals on this album mostly take a backseat to the rest of the music yet when utilized they get on your nerves pretty damn quickly. It is mainly an ambient album, which consists of lots of keyboard atmosphere, somber imagery, and just an overall tone of depression. There is definitely a theme present on this album, but what exactly that encompasses beyond the obvious cold, dark, quiet lurking savagery of winter, and the nihilistic bleak mourning of desolate idleness is not exactly known to me. If you enjoy long passages of melancholic atmosphere then you may just enjoy this.

A couple down sides I will note quickly is the horrid use of Black Metal vocals, reminding me of when you slightly speak into a mic, with a whisper like accent to it, and with a bunch of effects (probably like a raised gain, or hall type effect) on it to give it a slightly blackened sound,...weak, but not really to bad seeing as there really aren't many vocals on the album. Another thing that I didn't care too much for were the electronica sounding loops which are too overly used, and just kinda like "argh,..I wish that wasn't there", but that really only relating to a few spots on the album I disliked somewhat. Also one big thing that would have helped would be more guitar, cause the tracks with guitar in them are much better songs than those with out.

There are an abundance of great rhythms, lush, vivid tones, and powerfully doom laiden emotions on here,...and just throw in the mix some random electronic elements, and some pretentiousness, and you get it. This really is a good EP, and the music is very well written, and interesting. Most of the melodies on here are fairly mid-paced to slow; basically a bottom rhythm, or melody, that revolves around some keyboard based chord pattern (giving each chord a full count), and overlayed with some background effects, and on top a lead sythn that, most often, is playing a great lead that uses the under layed harmonies to majestically capture an avant garde-ish, creative full sound (probably could be said of many albums though). Mood wise, this album is definitely one that is better in solitude, at night, in the forest as snow falls to a white imbedded forest floor, or to sleep too, but do as thou wilt.

Another good point to elaborate on is the almost flawless, and effortless progression changes that really enhances the feel of each song, kinda making the changes abrupt, and constrained, but allowing for the mix to filter out what should be, and adding a certain properness to the sound. Nicely mixed, and produced, as well as recorded to a somewhat professional level. I have no real complaints about the production at all really. Maybe next time get a better singer, but for an overall one man effort, this is quite impressive. A lot of time and effort was put into this and it shows. It's not necessarily my cup of tea but there is a lot of good on this EP.