Hails, and welcome back my fellow black metalheads! Sean from the Black Metal Archives, and today we turn our gaze toward the mist-covered peaks of Slovenia, where Ueldes has crafted a work of stark beauty and atmospheric grandeur. Their latest release, The Veil of Mountains, is a mesmerizing journey through melancholic landscapes, woven with soaring melodies and raw black metal intensity. Let’s take a deep dive into the frigid, windswept soundscapes of this release.
Ueldes operates within the realm of atmospheric black metal, drawing heavily from the naturalistic and immersive qualities of the genre. The Veil of Mountains is a carefully constructed blend of tremolo-laden guitar passages, haunting synths, and vocals that range from agonized howls to deeply mournful whispers. There’s an undeniable influence of bands like Saor, Veldes, and even a touch of Wolves in the Throne Room in the way the compositions flow like mountain streams—sometimes crashing violently, other times meandering in introspective calm.
The guitars are drenched in reverb, creating a vast and open sonic landscape, while the bass provides a solid yet understated foundation. The drums alternate between blistering blast beats and slower, doom-laden sections that emphasize the album’s sense of sorrow and reverence for nature. Synths are used sparingly but effectively, adding an ethereal glow to the compositions without overwhelming the raw instrumentation.
The album opens with Sacred Burning, an expansive 10-minute track that immediately establishes the album’s grandiose yet sorrowful atmosphere. The layering of clean guitar melodies over storming black metal riffs creates a haunting contrast, while the midsection shifts into a slower, almost meditative passage before building back into a triumphant climax.
To the Healing Waterfalls stands out as a dynamic piece that blends soaring lead guitars with moments of unexpected serenity. Guest clean vocals by Tom O’Dell add an almost folk-like dimension, heightening the song’s introspective qualities. The shifts in tempo and atmosphere make this track a journey within itself.
Leaves That Glimmer Endlessly leans heavily into the more melodic side of the genre, with intricate guitar passages that shimmer like light breaking through a dense forest canopy. The melancholic yet uplifting progression makes this a standout moment on the album.
Closing the release is the instrumental title track, The Veil of Mountains. Stripped of vocals, the focus here is on the interplay between acoustic passages and ambient textures, bringing the album to a contemplative and cinematic conclusion. It feels like the fog settling over the peaks after a long and arduous journey.
Ueldes has crafted an album that embodies the vastness and solitude of the mountains it is inspired by. The Veil of Mountains balances aggression and beauty, bleakness and transcendence, delivering an experience that is as immersive as it is emotionally stirring. The compositions are well-paced, the production is atmospheric without sacrificing clarity, and the overall effect is one of complete absorption into a world of mist, fire, and endless horizons.
For fans of atmospheric black metal that seeks to transport the listener beyond the physical world, this is an essential listen. The Veil of Mountains stands as a testament to Ueldes’ ability to craft soundscapes as towering and awe-inspiring as the peaks they evoke, check it out now over on Bandcamp!
Until next time, keep climbing the mountain of metal!
