TARTARUS
Litha’s eponymous debut is a brooding, tempestuous journey into the psyche of Andrew Black –an ambient composer and integral component of Mizmor and Hell. Rising from the wooded recesses of Salem, Oregon, Andrew’s evolution from his band, Sorceress, into the ambient realm has now arrived at this melancholic symphony of melodic black metal. Unlike his previous efforts, Litha channels the rawness of anger, depression and dark, unsparing introspection. The album paints a tumultuous aural landscape, coloured by the agonised blackened shrieks of Hunger and Wearing Away, and disarmingly beautiful interludes that feel like a slow waltz through a fog of sorrow. Litha is very much catharsis for Andrew –an attempt to grapple with buried misanthropy and pain. This is a deeply arresting aural experience that demands commitment, but it’s worth it. Just be prepared for an intense, emotional odyssey.