Ultar - At the Gates of Dusk

Your boy H.P. Lovecraft is back at it again with the fish people.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on December 28th 2022) 

2022 has been yet another productive year for the Sysoev twins. It's the second time where the duo has released full-length works across all three of their projects, those being Second to Sun, Grima, and Ultar. Truth be told, I don't much care for the first of the three, but I've been keeping tabs on the other two for quite some time, with Grima being my favourite of the bunch. That being said, Ultar is no slouch either, with their brand of post-black being an example of the genre being done right, in that they manage to explore new sonic ground while at the same time keeping the black metal core intact. 3 years after Pantheon MMXIX, the group has come back with their third full-length, At the Gates of Dusk, which I've been looking forward to ever since the first single was announced. The question remains though, was it worth the wait?

The answer to that is, “sort of”. At the Gates of Dusk is a bit of a split album, in that it sees the band go in a slightly different direction for its first leg, whereas the second half is more quality material akin to the sophomore. The first three tracks feel like a brighter take on atmospheric black metal, which I don't think do justice to Ultar, not because they're bad, but because they don't play to their strengths. An aspect of their sound that I enjoyed a lot was the multiple vocal styles they employed, either by layering them, or by way of trade-offs, and that part of their sound plays second fiddle to Gleb's raspy shrieks, with the only instance of a change on that front is on “Evening Star”, where some ethereal cleans are layered with the harsher vocalisations. Even the riffing is mostly restricted to some -admittedly pretty sounding- tremolo runs, as seen on Antiques, which features a stunning lead section a third of the way through. Problem is, moments like that are contrasted with a song like the opener “Midnight Walk and Reminisces of Necromancy”, a track that feels like they wanted to get the worst out of the way before things picked up again.

Thankfully, the second half is a marked improvement, with the best songs here following “My Rope”, the album's centrepiece. Following that Ultar goes back to more driving and elaborate songwriting, similar to what they've showcased in the past. “Rats in the Walls” is a particular standout in that regard, with its twinkling acoustics slowly building up to a flurry of tremolo riffing, as well as a nice section with some female choirs in the background. Truth be told, that song threw me in for a loop with how long-winded the acoustic section is, bringing to mind the bland “Au Seuil” off the sophomore, but thankfully it actually went somewhere this time around. There's also the driving double-bass driven riffing on “Innsmouth”, supplemented nicely by some well-placed keys, making for a dramatic closer. While that's great and all, it only serves to highlight the dichotomy in terms of songwriting between the two halves, with the second one being quite superior to the first one, making for an ever so slightly uneven experience. Which begs the question of why there's such a discrepancy, and why these more engaging aspects of their sound didn’t appear more in the first half. Even the differing vocal approaches are more prevalent here, as seen on “Through the Golden Gates of Dawn”.

As for the production, it's similar to what the band has already showcased, although this time around it leaves something to be desired. Whereas on previous releases things were easy to discern, the soundscape here feels a little more cluttered, with some details, namely the bass getting lost in the shuffle during the faster segments here, which is disappointing when considering how good and crunchy its tone is, as is showcased on the break in “Rats in the Walls”. As for the other instruments, they sound great, and are actually audible throughout, with the glimmering guitars being crisp and at the forefront, building on the drums' sturdy base. That being said, the cymbals do add an extra layer of atmosphere to the music, similar to the keys, with their splashing being generally unobtrusive but still felt throughout. Damn shame that the improper mixing on the bass holds the tunes back from reaching their full potential, especially when considering that they've already shown us how much it can add to this type of music, even if its primary role is that of texture.

At the Gates of Dusk stumbles out the gate, and while it may pick up steam as it goes on, it doesn't make for the most satisfying listening experience. The highlights lie behind some rather uninteresting songwriting that is uncharacteristic of Ultar and it's honestly kind of disappointing to have a band that I tout as “post-black done right” falling into the same pitfall as bands I tend to deride like Deafheaven. What further exacerbates this is that some of the good songs presented here could be considered among their best, which makes the fact that I can't give a glowing recommendation a little more sad. Fans of the band might be satisfied with what's presented here, but anyone interested in the group would be better off listening to their first two.

Highlights: Antiques, Rats in the Walls, Innsmouth

Rating: 75%