PALE MOON BROWSER REVIEW 2017 UPDATE
The update includes two (2) Critical, six (6) High, seven (7) Moderate and two (2) Low security updates. Their impenetrable, serene atmosphere and thoughtful melodies should make Under Pale Moon a welcome substitute all the same, perfect for snowy days devoted to eschewing the classics in favor of something distinctly old, yet enticingly new.Mozilla sent Firefox Version 56.0 to the release channel today. Ringarë will by no means shift your personal ranking of symphonic black metal acts, and that’s okay. While I’m a bit disappointed that there isn’t much here for me to delve into from a critical standpoint (especially since the great, forward-thinking Chaos Moon was born from this band’s ashes pre-reformation), I’m not at all displeased as a casual consumer. Under Pale Moon is the kind of throwback experience that doesn’t ask for much from the listener beyond a surface examination. I probably would have preferred a slightly more coherent sound, but as it stands now, Under Pale Moon is a solid take on the lo-fi black metal aesthetic. The drums and strings offer no-frills tones aside from the heavy guitar reverb, and the vocal reverb allows the shrieks of singer Likpredikaren to be translated into a primal force of blizzarding winds. While the synthesizer effects are laden with cosmic majesty, the rest of the instruments feel refreshingly grounded. Though laden with universally lo-fi tones, all of the record’s components can be located at all times, though occasionally one has to strain a bit to make out the drum kit. The success of the murky engineering lies in the mixing decisions. Under Pale Moon’s production will likely act as a barrier of entry to some potential buyers, but I find its fuzzed tones to be an excellent match for the atmosphere Ringarë conveys. Ringarë just needs to take more care in making sure these sections make sense in conjunction with the rest of the track in question.
I don’t think that the band shouldn’t attempt extended tracks in the future, nor do I think they should eschew their synth-only sections the droning, ten minute epilogue of “Through Forest and Fog,” for instance, is legitimately captivating. Greater success is found with the second track, “Sorrow Under Starry Sky.” Here, Ringarë smartly sandwiches the meat of the track between a simple, symphonic wind-up and cool-down, lending the song the kind of concrete structure missing from the rest of the record. While pretty, these sections feel bloated and tacked-on. The first and last tracks, ten and twenty minutes long, respectively, feature extended, synth-only epilogues. Nothing is perfect, of course, and Ringarë’s particular weakness is that they sometimes don’t know when to quit. Atmosphere is Under Pale Moon’s priority, sure, but it has more going for it than passive ambiance. The melodic flexibility, coupled with frequent rhythmic change-ups on drums, makes for a more engaging listen than one might reasonably expect. The compositions maintain the crystalline synths that defined their forebears’ symphonic trappings, yet the nostalgic, Deafheaven-esque guitar melodies of the title track, as well as the frozen melancholy reminiscent of early Coldworld in “Through Forest and Fog,” reveal a more versatile aesthetic. Considering the band’s second wave mindset, I find this melodic approach to be particularly intriguing. Ringarë’s long-gestating debut, consisting of four tracks, values otherworldly beauty over scathing dissonance. This marriage of 20th century songcraft with a 21st century melodic mindset, while hardly revolutionary, makes for a frequently spellbinding record in Under Pale Moon.
Ringarë certainly falls within this realm, but with a twist: they build off the foundation of old school symphonic black metal, the sort pioneered by Limbonic Art and early Dimmu Borgir. In the genre’s most atmospheric forms, however, the ambient-like stream of muffled tremolo riffs and blast beats can be utterly calming. Not all black metal, of course-trying to take a Sunday siesta with Imperialist blaring would be an impossible task. This may be unthinkable for those who comment on every single black metal review about how they can’t get into the genre, but for me, black metal can be one of the most relaxing styles of music.
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