Album Review: Aleynmord – The Blinding Light (AOP Records)

One of the most powerful things about the landscape of Oregon is the columbia gorge – enveloped on both sides by two major mountains, barred from each other by a mighty river and a vast expanse of virtually overgrown wilderness. Finding solace from this landscape away from the metropolitan world, Aleynmord set out to explain the many different feelings one can experience in a self-imposed isolation

A contrast of pain and beauty, Aleynmord makes use of every way to describe the emotional poetry of isolation in the wilderness. The Binding of Light is out on August 28th 2020 via AOP Records.

Dark and gothic is the ether at the start of Spores of Possession which really sets up the penetrating blast of atmospheric black metal that follows. The guitars ring out like the tolling of a bell, the drums hammering away with little care and the vocals made up of pained screams and yelps (think something like Ghost Bath but higher). It’s pretty rough on the ears, only pausing for reflection with a melodic drop which has some very peaceful whistling going on.

Wounded Monolith is a slower moving beast at first. Like a glacier bearing down, suddenly the wonder turns to horror as the realisation sinks in that you’re in its path and it’s a whole lot faster than you expected. We actually get some traditional vocals here as well as another switch into a peaceful and elegant melody. A bit more stretched out, it’s perhaps not as impactful as one could hope even if it is a powerful and creative force.

A shorter offering in The Blinding Light, Aleynmord give us 6-odd minutes of atmosphere and soft guitar playing. Before destroying the comfort with Poetry of Marrow and Rot’s black metal crunching and crushing rhythm. The highlight of the album, this is Aleynmord at their most complete and connected sounding. Dark and barren, light and pretty, venomous and twisted… it’s a wonderful encapsulation of what Aleynmord have set to accomplish here.

Aleynmord – The Blinding Light Full Track Listing:

1. Spores of Possession
2. Wounded Monolith
3. The Blinding Light
4. Poetry of Marrow and Rot

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