So one of my favorite kinds of music- the kind I could pretty much always listen to no matter what- is atmospheric Black Metal, especially of the folky kind.  The glistening guitars, poundy drums, sweet keyboards, and, lurking underneath it all, some nice local touches to add some spice.

And with that in mind, I present the latest from Omitir.  Ode is in many ways what I would consider to be a perfect example of what I have written above.  This is one of those rare albums where the overall vibe is one of calmness.  The fact they have created this using blast beats, sepulchral screeches, and lo fi production speaks to the quality of songwriting on offer here.

It is a cliche to talk about misty woods, snow covered mountains, and dramatic hellscapes when describing the evocative power of Black Metal, so I’m totally gonna do it here.  Ode calls to mind a bunch of peasants (hopefully Russian), sitting in a field after the threshing day, rocking the samovar, having far too many drinks, and dancing around while waving dirty cups in the air.  The songs, presented as a whole, give off that sort of outdoorsy vibe that reminds me of older Ulver, and the vocalist wins my award for being the most mellow Black Metal vocalist I have ever heard.  Even though it’s mostly shrieks, the voice sends super matter of fact and relaxed, like he’s recording his lines whilst sitting in a hot spring, hopefully on a fjord somewhere.  It fits perfectly with the music.

Great album- a prime example of what happens when all the pieces fit.  I’ll have to go back to check out their older stuff but I am damn impressed with this one.