Suldusk - Anthesis (2024)

Hailing from Australia, today we have Suldusk and their sophomore release “Anthesis”. Marking a transition from a Folk sound to Dark Folk with Blackgaze, Progressive and even some Doom influences, this release unleashes nine tracks of sublime music filled with raw emotion and mystery. For fans of more modern Post-Black Metal releases with a melancholic edge, this release will certainly catch many by surprise and take the scene by storm.

Opening with the solemn “Astraeus”, the band quickly changes gears with the brutal initial onslaughts of “Verdalet”. Once the band settles in more melancholic territories, their stylistic duality is masterfully revealed. Emily Highfield’s vocals are just the right amount of sweet and mysterious to carry a very lush instrumentation including dramatic violins and intricate guitar melodies.

As tracks like “Crowns of Esper”, “Mythical Creatures”, and “Spharea” continue to deliver on their Folk roots with a darker twists, it's the contrasting pieces like “Crystalline” and “Anthesis”, and their amalgamation of Blackgaze and Doomy elements that further enthrall the listener into the band’s more sultry melancholic style. There is just something extremely raw and dramatic in the music that kept us listening to this album on repeat.

Our favorite tracks have to be the disarming “Leven” and the enchanting “A Luminous End” with their piercing riffs perfectly flanked by lush instrumentation and very powerful acoustic passages and vocal arrangements. As a whole, “Anthesis” is one of those very unique releases that is perfectly arranged to create maximum impact, with Dark Folk tunes perfectly in between the heavier parts. If you are a fan of bands like Myrkur, Heretoir, and similar outfits, do not sleep on getting a copy of this one.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: March 1st, 2024

Genre: Dark Folk/Blackgaze

Country: Australia