Published: April 7, 2017

None are a black metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

This album contains 30 minutes of material that combines atmospheric and depressive black metal.

The song titles – Cold, Wither, Suffer – pretty much describe this release quite well.

Dark, bleak and icy cold, the songs on None are exactly what you’d expect from the cover – this is frosted black metal that’s full of despair, misery and heartbreaking melancholy.

Synths and piano add an extra layer of forlorn despondency to the already downbeat music, making for an album that’s absolutely drenched in negativity.

However, there’s more than just harrowing bleakness on this album; this is where the atmospheric black metal influence comes in. The band’s clear depressive edge is augmented and mixed with an atmospheric one, which means that these tracks also sound spacious, otherworldly and full of dark exploratory promise.

None are offering the listener a cold new world to explore and bravely venture out into, it’s just one that’s barren, chilly, desolate and grim.

As well as all this, we also get a well-rounded recording, well-performed screams and a firm ear for dark melodies that have an epic streak to them. It all makes for a very enjoyable and engaging album, one capable of transporting the listener to the frozen climes of the cover.

Highly recommended.