From Bandcamp, “PARUSIGHT is a melodic, ripping, gothic and raw Black Metal solo project from the UK founded in 2022, with lyrical themes consisting of romance, decomposition, depression, and fantasy.” The album has eight songs, and “A Clash of Stars” is first; a short introduction to the album. High treble tones come out of the gates, with a harrowing sound in the guitars. “A Withering Rose” is the first proper song, and clean, somber tones come from the guitar, and it sounds like it is singing softly. What follows however are aggressive tones, still high with hopelessness. The vocals are a little buried in the mix, as are the drums, and it’s all about those contentious guitar tones.

The title track is another banger with a lot of energy, and even some backing instruments that help to thicken up the song. It alternates between pure aggression and desperation; two ideals that have come to define the genre. “Lost in a Shadow” is a shorter song that focuses more on ambiance. You feel like you are in the mist of morning, and can’t quite tell whether or not the shapes you see are real or not. “Love” is a tale of twisted feelings. It’s the kind of love you might find buried in a dark room, or the kind you don’t talk about. It spends the first few minutes in calm, melancholy waters before the beast rises above the waves. “Nekronumb” begins with hardened, harrowing tones, before it is off and running.

“Mourning Sky” utilizes some keyboards for atmosphere, and the notes are long, and held. “Malignant” closes the album, with a combination of aggressiveness and despondence. The two elements dance together in a cage match to the death without a victor. Overall, this was a fairly diverse offering of Black Metal that stayed within the lanes of the genre but did not just rely on old, re-hashed formulas of old. Oliver worked in some melancholy, some keyboards, and some ambiance into the songs, and it breathed new life into a genre that has become overrun with artists lately.