Time Held Me Grey and Dying is such a complete, cohesive work it is hard to believe it is the Debut Album from Ofnus, a UK atmospheric black metal act that only began in 2021!
Their raw old-school sound is equally impressive as their melody, layered vocals, and perpetually moving rhythms. From the Opening track ‘’Burned by the Soul of The Moon’’ the die is cast; each track is a lengthy exploration of the darkness and cold embrace surrounding Ofnus. The atmosphere is created through the textures and riffs. Each moment is carefully thought out yet at times abandoned, isolated, resigned to accepting the environs around them, such as in the haunting ‘’Grains Of Sand”’ that aches for something more, longing in its intent. The vocals of William Philpot are the conduit for pain and grief, revealing the balance between the intimate and the intense.
The clarity of the chaos that is ‘’Echoes’’ is countered by the massiveness of ‘’A Thousand Lifetimes” and its glorious riff upon riff, building to an epic, raw, emotive crescendo. “The Endless Grey’’ is monstrously heavy, its torments and beauty measured in equal parts. The slower sections allow the riffs to scale new heights to create a milestone in their tapestry of emotion and raw, unbridled fury.
‘’Burned by the Soul of the Moon” will leave you speechless with its grandeur.
Part Denouement, part rousing call to action ‘’Time Held Me Grey and Dying’’ is a vast, supremely heavy record that reveals itself upon repeated listening.
The soundscapes are vast end evocative, effortlessly being able to be true to the ideology of raw black metal yet extending its boundaries. Fearless and without compromise, it is a record that conjures the pain of remembrance and regrets and rewards you with depth and unbridled power.
Unmissable.
Ofnus: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Naturmacht Productions
Category: Album
Country: UK
Reviewed by Sparky
