Luring – Triumphant Fall Of The Malignant Christ

‘Triumphant Fall Of The Malignant Christ’ is Luring’s second full-length effort, but other than the band’s debut, which was only available on cassette tape, this one gets a proper release through none other than Germany’s underground giant Iron Bonehead Productions. And, considering what’s on offer here, that really is something that Luring truly deserves. Anyone into raw, atmospheric and haunting and thoroughly authentic Black Metal of yesteryear, should pay attention…

Luring’s first attempts were basically (extremely) raw affairs, almost going into those Lo-Fi territories, but after having heard this latest offering, it is clear that the band essentially put all its previously used ingredients into a fairly better balanced soundscape. The very core of Luring has largely kept untouched, but it is all presented in a slightly updated sound, which allows the mystical nature of the music to sound way more organic. But rest assured, Luring is still deeply rooted in the Raw Black Metal aesthetic, with buzzing guitars and moody keyboards dragging the listener back to those aforementioned long-forgotten times in which bands such as Gehenna, Abigor, Manes, Godkiller and Ancient provided the musical backdrop. Exciting almost Ambient-like pieces alternate the mainly mid-tempo Black Metal, creating a beautiful natural and dynamic setting.

In recent times, the musical environment for music like this is increasingly receptive. The current Black Metal scene is awash with bands that interweave 90’s-based Black Metal with (Medieval) Ambient and Dungeon Synth in the most genuine and creative way. While Luring may not completely fall into that same category, it creates a similarly chilling mystique with its dark buzzing sound. On top of that, Luring has a lot more to offer musically, where many of the contemporary Black Metal bedroom bands do lean heavily on their keyboards, the core of Luring is still provided with a solid riff-laden aggression, leaving more than enough to enjoy for the lover of “true” Black Metal. Taking all the above into account, ‘Triumphant Fall Of The Malignant Christ’ can definitely be seen as one of the Black Metal highlights of the 2023 releases out of the Iron Bonehead Productions’ stables.