OFNUS is a black metal band from the UK who formed in 2021. Their latest album, “Valediction,” is their second full-length album. Their blackened sound is also atmospheric and melodic, combining sweeping soundscapes with the traditional abrasiveness of black metal. However, despite their tendencies to step outside the box, they don’t use orchestration or a lot of crazy keyboards. There is synth work but they use their instruments in clever ways to generate their expansive sound. The most important element of this album is its depth. With a run time of just under an hour across 7 songs, there is a lot to dive into it. I don’t find it to be too much, or too long, but this is an album that is going to require multiple listens to hear all its intricacies and details. For me, that is a great aspect because I love albums that take awhile to explore.

The album begins with “The Shattering,” and it indeed explodes with an immediate impact. First and foremost, this band is black metal and this song doesn’t let anyone forget it. The vocals are solid as hell; these sort of raspy screams and deadly growls are exactly what I want in my black metal. The melodies, both from the guitars and synths, are sullen yet majestic. The instruments swirl together, a blend of imaginative songwriting and the underground sound of blackened fury. “Throes of Agony,” begins with a few seconds of odd synths that have a sort of free flowing ‘water’ like quality to them, if that makes sense. The next two and a half minutes are gripping riffs and furious drums that push the song to its melodic second half, a slower pace with introspective parts but no less engaging. “Zenity Dolour,” is one of my favorites on the album. I love the slower paced beginning, with expertly placed synths that highlight the riffs at just the right moments. The song flows in a bleak, Gothic embrace and fills every space with a proposal sound. A lot of the riffs are downright stalking, like a giant shaking the earth with every step. The band manages to squeeze delicate harmonies among these caverns and the song is all the better for it.

The final song, “Alazia,” is definitely the most straightforward and harrowing on the album. This one is more along the lines of something traditional, a maelstrom of klvt. But the band still adds its engaging ideas to the mix, ensuring the album ends on a bang but still making sense with what came before. OFNUS’ “Valediction,” is a fantastic album that balances all the against the grain elements of black metal with ideas that will appeal to people who normally avoid the genre.