Natan – Às (2013)

Going in the stack of ‘why the hell is this band not signed yet’ promos, today we have Belgiums Natan and their sophomore release “Às”. With over 45 minutes of a very unique blend of Pagan Metal, Black Metal, and tons of Avant-garde influences, this release is one of the few that immediately caught our attention and we have been listening to it non-stop. Having a bit of everything for everybody, this band has a truly unique style that is impressively well-crafted.

Opening with a bang, “Asch” immediately reminds us of Greece’s Aenaon and their very crafty music. The riffing is quite funky and the vocals very harsh, giving a very unique and somewhat progressive vibe to the music. The addition of the clean vocals really gives the band an extra dimension that your average band usually lacks. The intense “Ride Out!” gives us very cool tempo changes and powerful riffs constructed in a very unique and progressive way, reminding us of Enslaved at points.

Things get quite interesting with the jazzy and intoxicating instrumental interlude titled “Towards”. The band uses Congas and Trumpets on this one giving it a very atypical sound, but a super awesome one indeed. The seemingly “Wild Huntsmen” marks a quite interesting change to a darker and moodier side of things give aggressive riffs, but haunting melodic elements thrown into the mix. One of our favorite tracks in this release has to be the super catchy and heavy as fuck “Doodsknoop”.

Avant-garde weirdness ensues on the Arcturus sounding “Scourge of Justice”. This track is another one of our favorite ones with a chaotic vibe thanks to the diverse vocals and a punishing bass guitar line. The soothing “Heimat” is our favorite track in this release with a very organic and relaxing feeling to it…. until all hell breaks loose and we get one of the most brutal onslaughts in this release. Saving the folk-ish / jazzy stuff for last, “Transition” marks the end of this very fine release with a very unique piece.

When it comes to originality and quality music, Nathan is a band that is quite ahead of the curve. Being around for 10 years has given them loads of experience and they show their level of maturity in “Às”. If you are looking for something powerful, progressive, and somewhat experimental, look no further and pick up a copy of this excellent release.

Label: Self-Released

Release: 2013

Genre: Pagan Black Metal / Avant-garde Black Metal / Progressive Black Metal

Country: Belgium