The Mist From The Mountains – Monumental – The Temple Of Twilight Review

With a nifty logo, nature-based cover art, and winter timeliness on their side, Finland’s The Mist From The Mountains release their first full-length of melodic black metal, Monumental – The Temple of Twilight.

Monumental – The Temple of Twilight is a neatly wrapped gift to those who, like me, love all things ’90s melodic black metal. Think early Old Man’s Child, Dimmu Borgir, some Borknagar, and a bit of Windir. The thunderous drive feels very much like the latter at times, particularly “A Paean to Fire.” And the tasteful incorporation of synth like the former bands, particularly “Master of Wilderness.” Rather than pay tribute to these bands, however, Monumental seemingly uses them as, consciously or not, points of reference in building its own world.

If Monumental was purely a modernization of that ’90s melodic black metal ethos or structure, I would be happy. Let’s be clear. But there’s something more at play. It is that something else that should make this worth listening to for those who don’t have a similar history and bond with ‘90s melodic black metal. Though not a primary component of the band’s sound, the more ambient, folk, and progressive elements interspersed between the synth-laden warring and blasting are present enough to be a cognizable part of The Mist From The Mountains’ aesthetic. And it is that part that ultimately gives Monumental – The Temple of Twilight its dynamic feel.

Though I would have picked a more representative track to open the album, “Empyrean Fields,” at least for its first two minutes, shows the folkier side of the band. Those two minutes of folk feel a touch too long, but it does help create the aforementioned dynamic atmosphere. Unfortunately, it is perhaps a little too straightforward for the remaining four and a half minutes, making it the least strong of six very strong songs.

The immediacy of “A Paean to Fire,” on the other hand, feels comparatively refreshing. There’s a slow, almost progressive build that makes a very Windir-like main riff hit that much harder. And the incorporation of synth about two and a half minutes is so seamlessly executed that one couldn’t be blamed for failing to notice it. This song, though relatively simpler than “Thus Spake the Tongueless Serpent” and “With the Sun and Skies and Birds Above,” is bar none the album’s best.

The best representation of the band’s more progressive side, “Thus Spake the Tongueless Serpent” hits in waves, undulating between sweepingly sweet prog and fiery, tremolo-picked passages with ease. There’s a sense of comfort – of confidence, really – that a song like this makes more obvious because it not only demands some patience from the listener but also shows some restraint in not asking for more than it can deliver on. Put another way, there’s a noticeable lack of self-indulgence.

With the possible exception of “Master of Wilderness” – which, aside from a cleanly sung break, mostly veers in the direction of older Dimmu Borgir and Old Man’s Child – Monumental’s three remaining tracks are equal parts melodic black metal and prog/folk/extreme metal goodness. “After God” feels the most hybrid of the three, with some acoustic guitar and ICS Vortex-sounding cleans in the mix with traditional tremolo-picked riffs. The discipline the band shows in juggling these seemingly disparate elements is impressive.

The Mist From The Mountains are certainly not without competition. But the way in which the band so seamlessly fuses everything that made ’90s melodic black metal fun with more progressive elements distinguishes it enough from the crowd that Monumental should, rightfully, earn the band some notice. Even if not a debut, Monumental would be an achievement. But that this is the band’s first contribution to the world certainly makes me curious to hear what follows.