Artist: Under The Moon
Country: Spain
Label: Crimson Tide Productions
Format: Demo Tape
Year: 2025
Crimson Tide Productions is not a very prolific label, but if they decide to dedicate some time and money to something, it surely is something that you at least have to check out. This time they are presenting the first recording of Under The Moon, a Spanish band that is the brainchild of two musicians who are also active in such bands as Atonement and Nigromancer. The combination of the name of the band and demo on the one hand and the marvelous mystic artwork on the other, already give away much of what you’re about to encounter, but even if you go in prepared, you are in for a treat.
‘Under The Spell Of The Eclipse’ is a grandiose homage to ancient and occult Black Metal that reminds of the gods of yore. With the mid-paced and moody riffs and especially the melancholic keyboards comparisons to bands like old Varathron, Mortuary Drape, Mystifier, Samael, Baxaxaxa, Xantotol and Barathrum are easily made. As such, Under The Moon isn’t such a big step away from Nigromancer’s take on basically the same sort of unholy aesthetics of the early steps of the Black Metal genre. It proves that atmosphere is always key in Black Metal, a band like Under The Moon lights the fire of the glowing embers of the ancient feeling that have always lingered deep down in the underground. If this peaks your curiosity, I can only encourage you to listen to the closing track, an epic 13-minute song that weaves all the vital elements of primal Black Metal from the last 80’s: the hypnotic riffs, the captivating melodies and the low buzzing doom that binds it all so expertly together. A truly marvelous piece of music.
With its hefty playing time of over 40 minutes, ‘Under The Spell Of The Eclipse’ can basically be regarded as a full-length. Yet, the raw production gives this demo such a compelling and utterly authentic feeling that it could very well just have been recorded some 35 years ago. With that it feels perfectly aligned with the new generation of bands honoring those magical and mystical bands from the turn of the 1990’s like Perverted Ceremony, Black Edifice, Haan Valar, Forbidden Temple, Moenen Of Xezbeth, Necromantic Worship…
