Band's List Avantgardiste Black Circle Of Ouroborus Unituli

Circle of Ouroborus’ Unituli sees the band opting for a droning, one could say trance like effect. Compared to the previous album of there’s I reviewed; Tree of Knowledge, the music on Unituli is far more minimalistic and hypnotic, and also it loses even more of the bands natural oddities in favor of a grounded, atmospheric sound. Whilst this is not as good as Tree of Knowledge, Unituli is still a fantastic album that shows the bands continuing progression within the black metal world, from young black metal oddities to a more focused and mature atmospheric powerhouse.

The first change that struck me about Unituli was the cover art, instead of the gritty overtones that emblazoned their previous covers; Unituli opts for a brighter, yet still dreary and dismal artwork. Yet, whilst the brighter colors might point to the overall tone of the music following in suite, Unituli instead is dark and dismal, with melancholic undertones pervading each composition, and even the vocals, that were often lively and erratic have become worn out, tired, apathetic. All of these elements come together to provide a very atmospheric and emotive record that sees Circle of Ouroborus carving their own niche into the black metal underground .Far removed from the drunken splendor of Shores or the dark, gothic atmospheres of Tree of Knowledge, Unituli is an exercise in minimalistic and droning black metal that succeeds in creating a worn out and languid atmosphere that previous albums have always eluded to, but have never quite delivered to the extent Unituli has.

In comparison to the bands earlier work, it seems that the band has been influenced by the depressive black metal scene through the use of minimalistic discordant riffs that succeed in capturing an atmosphere of inner mental torment. Whilst the music never reaches the same slow tempos that many dsbm bands have utilized, the music as a whole still carries with it certain tortured riffs, and when mixed in with the languid vocals creates a very provocative atmosphere.

Though the band has opted for a more depressed edge on this album, it is interesting to point out that as the album goes on, the tone of the music becomes gradually more optimistic, yet still carrying that melancholic edge that makes this band stand out. The fuzzed out guitars bring to mind certain bands of the blackgaze phenomenon, where the hazy wall of sound creates bleak yet dreary sound textures. The blackgaze elements are a new addition to Circle of Ouroborus’ sound, and although it is a new addition, the band handles it with care and skill that I would not have expected. Juxtaposing the dreamy, textured riffs with the harder, more depressed edge to the music creates a rather bizarre duality between the two contrasting elements. The music never touches the realm of pure depression, although it alludes to it. It never touches pure optimism although there are moments of it. Instead, the band has created a balance between joy and spirituality. In comparison to their previous works where the mood was constantly downbeat, Unituli injects new life into the gloom yet still carrying much of the atmospheric bleakness that has come to define the band. Vocally is where the band carries much of the negative atmosphere. Antti Klemi has no doubt improved as a vocalist from his mediocre performance on Shores and is able to present more emotional range through the use of his growing confidence and determination.

Unituli is certainly a stand out in this bands discography, from the trance inducing droning of the guitars to the evocative and emotive singing, Unituli sees the band adding more depth to their music through the use of more textured riffing. The production seems to have degraded slightly from the bands previous albums as the whole music is draped in a murk that gives the guitars a very muddy edge and results in the vocals sounding surreal, unearthly even. However, Circle of Ouroborus works wonders with the degraded production, focusing much more on the overall effect of the music itself. Unituli is a very melancholic, somber affair yet filled with a fair degree of hope, for those looking for atmospheric and powerful music, this would be a good place to start.