Published: October 17, 2017

With Agalloch disbanding recently, it is time for a new band to take the throne to the best Atmospheric Black Metal outfit in the USA. With “Lethean Lament”, Mavradoxa makes their case to the throne. Unleashing over 60 minutes of highly engaging and intricate music, this release showcases the band’s creativity while unleashing very melodic and powerful songs.

Opening with the Empyrium-esque “Cicadan” acoustic guitar/violins intro, the band settles into their main sound with the crushing guitars of “The Phantom Visages”. With some very mellow and even ‘Doomy’ riffs, this song is quite engaging and sets a very melodic and sinister atmosphere. As a two-man operation, the band gets things quite heavy when needed with the harsh vocals and blistering riffs.

As our personal favorite, “Crimson Waves of Autumnal Flame” is definitely an opus thanks to its mysterious clean vocals and very ethereal vibe. Full of surprises and additional elements, while clocking in at nearly 18-minutes long, this track has a bit for everybody. With “Across the Nival Grove”, the band delivers a more typical onslaught with melodic passages and cool vocal arrangements that is quite engaging and diverse and showcases the band’s stamina.

Just when you think things are going to mellow down, “From Fog” unleashes one last barrage of crafty riffs, intricate drum patterns and funky guitar leads. The album closes with another acoustic piece “Metanoia” and just before you know it, you will find yourself playing it all over again. Overall, “Lethean Lament” is a great sophomore release from a very promising band that is full of ideas and direction. If you like bands like Fen, Agalloch, etc., you will certainly enjoy Mavradoxa.