Ungoliantha is an old (formed almost two decades ago) yet un-productive band around Lord Sinned (bass and vocals) from Ukraine, and with some colleagues )guitar player V. Karavaev, drummer Kim and synth wizard Igor Vershinin), he recorded this first album (which includes pretty old material) in between Autumn 2011 and Autumn 2012. During Winter 2012-2013 and Spring 2013, the result got mixed and mastered by no one else but Vladislav ‘Munruthel’ Olegovich, the guy behind his self-called outfit, and formerly in e.g. Nokturnal Mortum.
After quite a tasty nameless introduction (pretty bombastic and ominous), Ungoliantha bring rather fast and energetic Symphonic Black Metal, including lots of epic and operatic elements. It’s pretty catchy, as a matter of fact, and totally lacking of originality (Dimmu Borgir, Limbonic Art, Vesania, Munruthel, Balfor, Astarium, Dagor Dagorath – you surely understand what I am referring too), but enormously varying.
Despite the heavy and fast-paced structures, that variation and the melodic aspects give a cool counterbalance in order to keep all this nastiness acceptable for ear drums and grey cells. In general the stuff is pretty intense and overpowering, yet a couple of decelerations and throw-backs are nicely injected to search for some sort of equilibrium.
Cool too are both covers, Lucifugum’s Pressed Down By The Fallen Pivot Of Life (with vocals by Unholyath’s Mefist), and pretty surprising, Armageddon by Terminal Choice (one of the projects by Christian Pohl). The first one gives a nice own-faced approach to the original track (though once again, I do prefer the original version); the latter is quite refreshing, because a blackened translation of electronic basics is quite apart (but a nice try for sure!).