Atmospheric Black Metal is a tricky beast under the best of circumstances. You need the right chemistry, the patience to weave intricate layers, and a vision sharp enough to keep all the moving parts spinning in harmony. Now imagine trying to do all that alone. Seems impossible, doesn’t it? Well, Under Victoria doesn’t just attempt it — it conquers it. Love and Death is the kind of one-man Atmospheric Black Metal album that makes you sit back, shake your head, and mutter, “How the fuck did one person do all this?”
From the opening acoustic guitar refrain of Divinations/Autumnal, you know this isn’t your standard, “wall of tremolo riffs and relentless blast beats” record. The acoustic passage drifts like fog over frostbitten mountains, delicate yet foreboding, before giving way to scorching, precise guitars that burn through the mix with elegance and majesty. From there, the album twists, turns, and unfolds in ways that show an intricate understanding of the genre’s heartbeat. This isn’t chaos for the sake of chaos — this is atmospheric storytelling in its most extreme and immersive form.
Vocally, Under Victoria demonstrates a masterclass in restraint and timing. There’s a knowing sense of when to let the demons roar and when to call back, to whisper, to layer subtle echoes and haunting angelic choirs that build tension. The vocals aren’t just an ornament here; they’re an instrument of narrative, rising and falling like a storm gathering strength, cutting through the sonic landscape like jagged lightning strikes across a darkened sky.
Musically, the album thrives on dynamics. It knows when to hold back and let the atmosphere breathe and when to strike with full force. It’s never a relentless battering ram — there’s space here, and that space makes the crushing moments hit harder. The guitars roll and shimmer, the bass grumbles like distant thunder, and the drums shift with precision, sometimes understated, sometimes exploding with volcanic power, all in service of the mood rather than spectacle.
Where Love and Death truly excels is in its layering. You can feel multiple threads running simultaneously — haunting melodies, blackened aggression, and emotional depth that many full bands fail to capture. The one-man structure doesn’t hinder the album; it enhances it. Every element feels intentional, every note carries weight, and the album’s pacing ensures the listener is pulled in, mesmerised, and occasionally thrown off balance in the best possible way.
By the end, you’re left in awe. Not just of the music itself, but of the sheer audacity to create something this expansive and rich as a solo effort. Under Victoria has taken Atmospheric Black Metal’s core principles and pushed them to their logical, breathtaking extreme.
Love and Death is available from the Under Victoria Bandcamp page.
CHOICE CUT: In the Shade of your Light II
BLACK METAL ARCHIVES VERDICT: Love and Death is a masterclass in Atmospheric Black Metal, a one-man triumph that balances ferocity, melancholy, and beauty with surgical precision. It’s immersive, haunting, and utterly unforgettable.
