…One more step into the light

As someone that really enjoys black metal, one of my personal favorites in the genre is Panopticon, formally from Kentucky but now residing in Minnesota. Austin Lunn displays in this band some of the best black metal to be produced in the United States to the point that whenever I think of USBM, I always think first of Panopticon. What makes the band stand out is the way they execute their blend of ferocious atmospheric black metal mixed with elements of folk, Americana and bluegrass. Some of my favorites of their vast discography are Autumn Eternal and Roads to the North; while I wasn’t into The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness as much as others, their last two releases, ..And Again into the Light and The Rime of Memory have been some of Austin’s strongest efforts and felt like a great comeback. Now they’ve got a new release that correlates with the last two albums as the conclusion to the Laurentian Trilogy, Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet. 

The album begins with “Woodland Caribou” that goes in an Agalloch direction during the track’s first half. It puts an interesting focus on the orchestral elements of this album (which you’ll hear throughout) as well as the harsh vocals. This builds up well to the second half of the track where the guitars and drums come into play with their aggression. It makes for a ruthless and compelling adventure that ends beautifully thanks to the grandiose lead guitars; the additional guest vocals from Alex CF of Fall of Efrafa and Ancient Lights are a nice addition to the song. Following this comes “The Great Silence, Extinct” in full blazing ferocity in traditional Panopticon style. A violin feature from Charlie Anderson of Weft adds its own flare to the song, as alongside guest vocals from Aaron Charles of Falls of Rauros.

One of my favorite parts of the record has to be “Blood and Fur Upon the Melting Snow;” I love the first half in particular. Instrumentally, it goes for a neo-crust feel at the beginning which works perfectly for the band. It’s energetic and passionate—not unusual for a Panopticon release—but I like that it’s done in another way here. The clean vocal sections also heighten the atmosphere without creating a sense of lost momentum; this shows off how well the band can transition between ferocity and softer sections. The next track, “The White Cedars” is another simple but effective song that excels in its intensity thanks to the guitars, drums and Austin’s harsh vocals; additional violin and guest vocals from Jan Even Åsli of Vemod add another layer to the mix.

My favorite track has to be “A Culture of Wilderness,” with its flourishes of aggression in both the electric instruments and orchestral elements; I like the variety in the vocals that shows off the deeper harshes as well, along with guest vocals from Jan Van Berlekom of Waldgeflüster. Before the last track, you get a nice wood flute interlude in “Lyset” with background sounds of a burning fireplace. This is an example of the neat Americana elements that sets Panopticon apart from their peers. The album closer, “Ghost Eyes in the Firelight” carries on the Americana vibes at the start and has a really nice vocal guest performance from Jordan Day. This is an emotional rollercoaster of a track that showcases the band’s songwriting chops; it perfectly closes off what has been not only a brilliant journey of an album, but also a fantastic trilogy. (A callback to lyrics in this song also references the first album of the trilogy—such a lovely touch.)

I don’t know how Panopticon does it, but they delivered another effort of sheer brilliance in Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet. It sticks the landing in closing off the trilogy of albums on a high while having its own unique personality. The journey is a rollercoaster of emotion and passion made with sheer heart. Its great execution is thanks again to Austin’s songwriting; it displays how great the mix of atmospheric black metal works with various elements such as the presence of the orchestration. I gave the last two releases 5 stars which I rarely do, but Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet is certainly worthy. This trilogy will easily be in my top 5 picks for Panopticon albums alongside Autumn Eternal and Roads to the North. I don’t think you would be surprised if this ends up being a strong album of the year contender for me—it’s why I love black metal and its evolving variety.

 5/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell

Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet is out now via Bindrune Recordings.