Formed in 2016, Devon’s Cistvaen are building a solid reputation for themselves within the UK extreme metal scene. Taking their name (literally translating to “stone chest”) from a type of ancient burial chamber often found in the South West of England, the five-piece’s brand of doomy atmospheric black metal suits them down to the ground. 

Progressive yet traditional, wide-reaching but distinctly British, Under the Silent Meadow Skies  ruminates on subjects such as life, death, love, loss and nature. With a running time of close to half an hour, each of its three songs has the time to take you on a journey but never allows you to get lost along the way. 

Nine minutes of explosive melancholia, the title track features moody, mid-paced riffs with bursts of blastbeat-assisted speed, a trip into classic Paradise Lost style doom territory and a quietly effective passage of almost ethereal quality. The guitars of Lee Meade and Chris Finch savage yet melodic while bass player James Mardon is allowed to forge his own path thanks to a clear and decisive mix.

‘Waiting’ opens with a simplistic guitar riff before a second adds melody, joining with the firm but tempered drums of Ed Wilcox. Vocalist Guy Taylor adds his own colours, switching between low end gutturality and more traditional black metal croaks and shrieks, his pained exasperation and deep, spoken word adding to the ever-shifting atmosphere of the song. Inspired by their historic but bleak surroundings, the band close the EP with ‘The Voice of an Old God’, a sensational cut which wholly encapsulates “the spirit of the moors”.

A confident and thoroughly absorbing release, Under the Silent Meadow Skies is one of the finest examples of atmospheric black metal you will hear this year.

Buy the album here http://cistvaen.bandcamp.com

8 / 10

GARY ALCOCK