Vanad Varjud is a band from Estonia, formed in 2009. However, the idea already formed somewhere in 2000. Several years later, a debut was released, named 'Apooriad'. While back then it would have been easy to categorize this under depressive black metal, the band evolved, now resulting in their second album.
The album contains four epic pieces of atmospheric music, ranging from drones and dark ambient to bleak black metal. Yet, and perhaps that's why I dig this album so much, it almost never gets too harsh, too fast or too brutal. The focus here is clearly on the story and the overall atmosphere, which gives the album a huge plus in my opinion.
The verdict? This is stuff for fans of Striborg, Paysage D'Hiver and Nortt. This is for those who love epic music with stories to tell and landscapes to envision. It's got highly immersive passages, immersive enough to drag you down into a state of trance. Only downside is, according to their facebook page, this act never plays live. So yeah, you'll have to buy this.
​Serge