2020’s run of high-quality black metal continues with the debut from Finland’s Gloom, a band that features members from Nekrokrist SS, whoever they are. And they are not Gloomy or depressive black metal at all as the name might lead you to believe.

Blending a bit of Finnish black metal nastiness (especially the vocals) and more glossy Second wave Scandinavian melody, Riders of the Last Light, is no-frills black metal that delivers 38 minutes of barebones, knifing, primal black metal riffs, and hate. No atmospherics, no interludes, no keys.

With song titles like “Iron Claws of Black Metal”, “Fuck Your Fate”, “No Mercy After Sunset” and “Murder Yourself”, you get some idea of where these guys stand stylistically and thematically. This isn’t shoegaze-y, introspective, or atmospheric, just icy, cold, raging blackness.

The pacing is pretty consistent through the 8 tracks, with either a frosty blast or some stern, militant marches littered throughout. The first two tracks “Bleed” (with its appropriate gun being cocked/gunshot intro) and “Iron Claws of Black Metal”, with its cool blackened gallop pretty well encapsulate the rest of the album, so don’t go looking for any sprawling, ambitious numbers or gaudy extraneous stuff.

Tracks like “Deep in the Ground” and “No Mercy After Sunset” have some cool black metal jaunts and sways to break up the tremolo blasting of “Murder Yourself ” and the closing title track (even with its cool little heavy metal breaks) making for a complete, enjoyable black metal album- yet another one in 2020.

[Visit the band's website]

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