Celestial Shadows – Rassilon

When you think you have heard it all there comes a band like Celestial Shadows with “Rassilon” which may be best explained the weirdest encounter of AC/DC’s Brian Johnson with an out of tune and experimental gloomy and dark Metal band. The outcome is out of proportion in terms of gloominess and darkness.

In terms of intrumentals, “Rassilon” is shoegazed and doomy full of fingered parts that sometimes sound out of tune, but it is the choice for dissonances and not so usual chords. There are only five tracks in “Rassilon” which are a bit monolithical due to the option of making the music shock the ears. Well, in fact, we all praise that because as I always say Metal is to shock and go far out from the usual and “Rassilon” does it indeed. I guess “The Laughing Man” is the track that explains the most Celestial Shadows instrumental choices not only because it is an instrumental track, but because it gathers everything that was shown in “Rassilon.” Following track, “Castrian Wasteland,” begins with guitar echoes and dissonances in open chords. I don’t mean that it is a new technique, in fact, it’s not, but Metal bands don’t use it a lot. Surf music bands from the 1960s used them a lot. There is even a taste of blues in it. As “Castrian Wasteland” goes on, the shrieking and Brian Johnsonesque voice appears as a ghost. Full open chords are the tone to “Castrian Wasteland” and they are the ones who give its ghostly mood. A fine piano tune mixed with some U2ish guitars give the tone of the end of the song. Well, it works fine I must say.

Black Metal is getting more and more bold these days, and Celestial Shadows is here to prove it right. “Rassilon” is an album for those who are looking for something really different. It’s not for the regular metalhead. You gotta have some nerve to taste it.

Celestial Shadows “Rassilon” was released in May.

Track Listing:

  1. In the Shade of Offence
  2. Water’s Edge
  3. Return to Life
  4. The Laughing Man
  5. Castrian Wasteland

Watch “Circle of Time” official lyric video here: