I don’t like genres. I hate having to label bands. To me, music isn’t about where you can place a band, but more about the feeling that their music gives you. Which, as you can imagine, in my line of work can be somewhat challenging as I have to find unique and different ways of describing the sounds and emotions that I experience while listening to a record.

But sometimes, just once in a while, I find myself having to throw my hands up and say “Yeah, this is the only way I can convey just what I’ve spent the last half hour or so absorbing.”

Case in point: Rubidium by Visitant. Symphonic Black Metal. At its fucking finest.

Every single track on offer, from opener Unworldly to closer Moon Bathe is a mini oprea. Each perfectly crafted to showcase a band who are experts at their craft and have the musical chops to back it up.

These are sweeping, grandiose songs that throw you headfirst into a blender and switch the fucking thing on, before pouring your liquefied pulp into a cool, calming, and serene pool.

This is balls to the wall Black Metal. There can be no denying that, but Visitant have more strings to their bow than just gutteral growls over face shredding riffs and beats.

There is a gentleness that Visitant possesses that few bands – of this ilk or any other – seem to understand. Unworldly sets the tone for this, with dreamlike piano and swirling classical instrumentation, which is a formula they expand upon and use to perfection throughout Rubidium – especially on the brilliant Starless – before they turn the whole world on its head and reach out of the speakers, intent on choking the shit out of you.

There isn’t a weak link within Visitant, and it shows. If any one of the members didn’t bring their “A” game, then Rubidium would’ve fallen short and possibly on its face. But Visitant are a collective of incredibally talented musicians, so that is never an option.

The bass and guitar work of Kilian Duarte and Taylor Tidwell will take your breath away, while Anthony Lusk-Simone’s drumming is on a level where, apparently, lactic acid doesn’t exist and god fucking knows how. If I tried to pull off just 15 seconds of the work he does, I’d be in traction for a week.

Chelsea Marrow’s vocals are a show stopper. The ease with which she switches from soothing angel wiping the furrowed brow to screaming demon roaring in the victims face, is so effortless and natural, thar I had to check there weren’t two people singing for Visitant as I couldn’t quite get my head around the fact that this was all coming from a single voice.

Let’s be honest here, normally when any vocalist of the Extreme Metal variety does vocal gymnastics, you can tell it’s all from the same person, no matter how impressive, but this… this is God level.

Also, I know I’ve already praised Anthony Lusk-Simone’s drum work, but his work behind the production desk and with the orchestration – which is weaved perfectly into the each and every moment of Rubidium – should not be overlooked. If the music on offer is the heart and soul of this album, then his ability behind the desk gives it life like a beautifully twisted Victor Frankenstein standing over Adam as he gives it the spark of life.

Rubidium by Visitant isn’t just a good Black Metal album, nor is it a just great Black Metal album. What it is, is an essential Black Metal album, and one that any fan of Black Metal should have pencilled in to purchase when it crawls into the light of day.

You need this in your life.

Rubidium by Visitant is avaliable via Exitus Stratagem Records on August 22, 2025..

Choice Cut: Envies Lament.

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5

• 0: Fucking Shit
• 1: Shit
• 2: Not Bad Shit
• 3: Pretty Good Shit
• 4: Amazing Fucking Shit
• 5: The Best Shit You Will Ever Hear

PRESS SOURCE: ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS. Jon Asher – Music Publicist. Facebook @AsherMediaRelations. Instagram @AsherMedia. Tweet @AsherMedia.