Who says black metal has to be ferocious all the time? Think about it: for a genre so obsessed with might and power, black metal sure is crispy, raw and, let’s face it, delicate. Most bands sound like you could break their music apart with a slightly clenched fist. Is there anything wrong with that? No, but the duality of strength and fragility is one which can be confounding.
Why not embrace the fragility? On their debut demo, some small star, “delicate raw black metal” soloist Aster Wreath moves beyond black metal’s superficial force and seizes its point of collapse. In three songs, some small star‘s emotional offshoot of black metal nestles itself in quietude and the stylistically frail. Pushing all musical elements to the background, Aster Wreath’s own approach is ephemeral and misty, oft-led by the soft bowing of a violin or the muted plucking of a distant piano. For all the harshness raw black metal captures of its own harsh side, Aster Wreath is the polar opposite from within that microcosm. As such, some small star is quiet, pretty, and unassuming — a delicate representation of black metal’s own denied fragility.
**some small star will be digitally released February 19th on the band’s Bandcamp. A tape will follow on Fólkvangr Records in April
