You gotta love an album with a title like Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum. I mean, it tells you a lot about what you can expect from the record in terms of sheer ballsy density and otherworldly soundscapes. Sol Sistere take full advantage of this and boldly follow up on all that their album title has to offer and then some. Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum elegantly balances dark and light, using heart wrenching minor key melodies and tremolo picked guitars to create powerful soundscapes that tell a story. The fully immersive sonic experience of Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum touches upon the true meaning of black metal. Sure there isn't anything particularly evil about Sol Sistere, but most of the time that seems to be just because the band is so sad. They want to give you something to meditate on and to get lost in. Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum represents a different world, a universe of burning hatred and bitterness, where the only way forward is to stumble on through the dark. Perhaps though, the blazing majesty of this release can help us find the way home.
As you delve deeper into Sol Sistere's music you quickly find that Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum represents a very unique songwriting style. While it might be easy to categorize the bands high intensity moments as a mere wall of sound effect, these guys actually write some killer melodies. The progressions give the music a sense of depth that almost rivals Emperor at times. Part of what keeps me coming back to Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum is its sense of grandeur. Sure it isn't as developed as it needs to be (I'd honestly like to hear some synth work) but it hints at greatness. As is, Sol Sistere can feel a little underwhelming. The music gets to a peak and then stays there for a bit too long. It rarely touches on meditative, but rather comes off as tiring. The ideas are strong, it's simply the songwriting that needs to be ratcheted up another level for true greatness.
Sol Sistere are on the verge of becoming one of the lords of black metal. Yet, like so many of their peers they are missing just a little something. The music is colorful and powerful and certainly features unique vibes (The intro of "Sight Of The Oracle" wouldn't feel out of place in a pop punk song) I just feel like Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum is merely a step onto bigger and better things. Maybe I'm just not in the right mood, this is very much mood music after all, but I think it's something more. I see what Sol Sistere have been able to achieve here and it makes me curious to take it further. This is the sort of band who understand what their place in the metal scene needs to be and are certainly creating their own void. Balancing sick black metal tones with something truly beautiful the band finds majesty in the ugliness and hatred in the light. Watching them carry things on to the next level will be a monumental journey.
Score: 7/10
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