Artist: Mooncitadel
Country: Finland
Label: Out Of The Dungeon
Formats: CD
Year: 2025
Finland’s Mooncitadel has continued to impress me, from their earliest beginnings as Watcher’s Abyss and Empire of Tharaphita to their first recordings with Mooncitadel, and their most recent releases both were peak symphonic Black Metal records. Not surprisingly, I ended the review of ‘Onyx Castles and Silver Keys’ that I couldn’t wait to hear what the future held for the band. Well, it turns out their newest album ‘Stardawn Usurper’ holds somethings that is quite different.
What struck me mostly about the band thus far was their mix of traditional Black Metal with a solid base of melody of symphony and a flair of Heavy Metal. While each of these elements remain a part of the sound, the balance between all these elements has been shuffled quite a bit. Originally meant to be a mini album that grew into a full-length, ‘Stardawn Usurper’ is described as representation of the experimental side of the band. Indeed, the symphonic elements have been reshuffled, the guitar sound is less raw, and while the majority of the previous recordings was Black Metal with some Heavy Metal, that balance is now flipped in the opposite direction. What remains is Blackened medieval Heavy Metal with a cosmic ambience. And that in practice only applies to half of the songs on the album.
Opener ‘Ordo Templi Borealis’ is strictly composed of acoustic guitars, cosmic keys, drums and clean vocals. With it comes a somewhat folky but mostly medieval connotation. Five minutes long, it feels more like a full songs than an intro, completely with pleasant melodies, chanting vocals and well-drone drums. The first distorted guitars don’t appear until the subsequent ‘Procreation of the Comet Rider’, a song that in its early minutes has a strong sense of the more epics Bathory records. After a build-up, the song initially features the prominent Heavy Metal melodies that feel like a metamorphosis in focal points of the band. Stripped of most synthesizers, the Black Metal elements are much reduced but not entirely gone. Especially since the vocals are still harsh shrieks and plenty of riffs, especially when the pace quickens, have a strong Black Metal feeling. But clearly, these have taken a secondary role in the overall compositions. Musically, I’m strongly reminded of Greek bands like Zemial and Agatus, perhaps not a huge surprise considering Mooncitadel’s Hellenic Black Metal influences on prior releases and especially in Watcher’s Abyss. The following ‘Assemble Thy Constellations, Lord of Silence!’ is a 10-minute instrumental ambient track, featuring synthesizers and drums. As with the opener, this is not merely Ambient filler but a well-composed tracks with plenty of tension, mesmerizing and floating cosmic melodies and diverse drums. As such, it feels like an integral part of what ‘Stardawn Usurper’ and the new direction of Mooncitadel stands for. The album ends with ‘The Stardawn Usurper’, arguably the track with the strongest Black Metal feeling. However, it just as much has that medieval feeling and features plenty of Heavy Metal riffs. As with the previous songs, the composition is incredibly well-balanced, the melodies rich and memorable, making that although musically the album is quite different from their previous recordings, it is abundantly clear that Mooncitadel are experts at their craft.
Opinions on ‘Stardawn Usurper’ will inevitable come down to perspective. If you came in expecting the symphonic Black Metal of ‘Night’s Scarlet Symphonies’ and ‘Onyx Castles and Silver Keys’, then you might be a bit surprised or even let down. But if you give the new album time and open yourself to a cosmic and medieval Blackened Heavy Metal sound, the quality compositions are undeniable. After spending quite some time with the record, my opinion certainly shifted towards the positive, so if you hold Mooncitadel’s history dear, give ‘Stardawn Usurper’ a chance beyond first impressions.
