Believe in No Coming Shore is the third full-length album from Cascadian black metal act Falls of Rauros, now into their tenth year since their conception. Through these years their sound has remained fundamentally unchanged, and perhaps for the better; their brand of rural, introspective atmospheric black metal has always been very endearing to me. Whether it be the complex interplay between harmonized guitar tremolos of “Spectral Eyes”, the sprawling, doomy chords ringing out unhurriedly in “Ancestors of Shadow”, or the numerous blues-tinged acoustic passages scattered throughout the album’s 42 minute duration, the band never fails to evoke vivid imagery of a foggy, barren landscape, all while distant, anguished cries denounce the folly of modern man.

As I’ve said before, Falls of Rauros have done little to change up their style. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Nonetheless, the drumming on display here is significantly more liberal compared to that of their previous effort, The Light That Dwells in Rotten Wood. Blastbeats are more commonplace, to the point where every track (barring the opener and closer) contains at least one such section, making it feel more in line with their similarly aggressive debut Hail Wind and Hewn Oak. Bear in mind that I have nothing against blastbeats; it’s just that I hold the measured restraint exercised on The Light That Dwells in Rotten Wood in exceptionally high regard. Thankfully, the drumming still retains all the litheness and fluidity it always had, with all its cymbal accents and effortless fills. I suppose when push comes to shove, the more immediate nature of these songs would befit percussion of a more urgent variety. “Ancestors of Smoke”, for instance, rages on with a rustic tenderness, its guitar tremolos and bass lines tightly woven as a singular cohesive unit.

Another noticeable change from The Light That Dwells in Rotten Wood would clearly be the production values. The lead guitars are more prominent in the balance. There’s a lot more power to the drums (especially the snare), and the vocals are brought just a tad closer to the forefront. However, the rhythm guitars might have taken a slight hit, being less dreamy and spacious and more in your face.

While Falls of Rauros don’t quite live up to the high standards that I may have unfairly thrust upon them on their last release, they haven’t really done any wrong on this record either. Believe in No Coming Shore is an absolute joy to listen to, and a definite contender for the best black metal record of 2014.

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