The Great Sea – Noble Art of Desolation
Release Date: 25th April 2025
Label: AOP Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal.
FFO: Drudkh, Mgła, Agalloch, Groza, Ellende, Blood Abscission.
Review By: Rick Farley
Grey and cold, the dismal atmosphere of German black metal duo The Great Sea is a testament to the power of creating an experience of nature through dark, haunting, ethereal black metal. As proven many times over, the two elements go hand in hand, in spellbinding fashion, which never seems to get stale. At least not for me. You can feel the abyssal darkness of the waters, the crisp, frosty air flow through the never ending forest and the creaks of fallen leaves within the silent, shadowy night. The exploration of this striking atmosphere while it twists, writhes, floats, and serenely brutalizes you, transcends just hearing the music. It will usually make you feel something, whether you want to or not. From the immensity of the pitch black or the fear of the grim unknown, atmospheric black metal seems to be what I visit the most often.
“The Great sea was founded in 2022 by JR (Long Distance Calling) and SH (Ordeal and Plight) with the ambition to create an atmosphere that can keep up with the majesty of the mountains and the horrible depths of the seas, with a glimpse into the never ending darkness that is behind and before us.”
The debut album Noble Art of Desolation being released via AOP Records on April 25, 2025, is a shift in musical style if you’re familiar with either of the two bands previously mentioned where this duo come from. If you’re here from name recognition, this is a change in aggression. The post, prog, and atmospheric elements are injected into this album, giving it excellent contrast. JR (guitars, drums, bass guitar, keys, backing vocals) and SH (guitars, keys, backing vocals) are joined through the vessels of A (vocals on various songs), HW (bass on various songs) and special guests Azathoth and Phil ‘sG” Jonas both adding vocals to a song. With various credits and locations given for the production, if you’re interested in knowing, check out their Bandcamp. Rather than listing everything, I will simply say it sounds foggy with crisp guitars and plenty of airiness to have an ominous atmosphere looming, not overly produced but also not raw black metal. The production works well with the music. Noble Art of Desolation feels like a complete thought that melds together coherently, despite the lengthy description of who does what on the album.
The music on Noble Art of Desolation is spacious, often doomy black metal. Utterly ferocious when it wants to be and distinctly melancholic, with primitive melodies that range from burning guitars to cosmic synths in the background, while growly shrieks terrorize the ambience. Eden Unfolded, with its unsettling melodies that build throughout, imparts a real sense of menace. The vocals have a post punk like vibe which gives off a darker swagger than just sounding entirely evil. No peace Among Men starts with clean guitar and synths, eventually guiding to a black n roll stompiness. Traditional, raw blasting and tremolo picked guitars ramp up from the groovier beat to an angry, stormy soundscape. Walking at the Edge of Death is exactly that, dark, heaviness with post tones leaning towards a lighter feel. There’s a foulness in the air that’s not quite inviting, but you will not be completely submerged within the restless waters that surround you. Occasionally the depths will reach for you, but there always seems to be a tiny light that guides you back towards the surface.
Gloominess and ferocity merging together seems to be the most prevalent components within The Great Sea’s soundscape, which do work to a terrorizing effect. If I had a complaint to share is that by the end of track four, you’ve kind of absorbed everything this record will offer. There’s not a bad song, but I would have loved the band to experiment just a little more.
(3.5 / 5)
