What I like about FALLS OF RAUROS and their  music from the very beginning is their ability to easily transfer the dynamics from folklore soundscapes, dating back to ancient myths and legends, to heartfelt explosive shrieking vocals and a shock wave of cutting guitars, in the same time preserving the integrity of every single one of their works without making them sound fragmented or any of the elements feeling „out of place“.

Similar is the case with the band’s sixth full-length album, „Key to a Vanishing Future“, which will be released on March 25th through Eisenwald, although the record is musically quite different from what we’ve had the chance to hear from the band so far.

Conceptually, the album draws attention to the fact that people were born into this world without consent and are forced to take on both the burden of human history and the responsibility for shaping the future. Both the failures and the successes of previous generations are passed on to the next, and the younger generation has no choice but to inherit the world given to them. Tradition, religion, debt, disease, addiction, the history of desperate people living in a crumbling empire; all these things are making their way into our lives, whether we have invited them into it or not.
The lyrics of the album explore the idea of the obligatory inheritance, of the burden placed on to the new generation.

Musically, „Key to a Vanishing Future“ is a bit different from what the band has been exploring in their work over the past albums, while each of the tracks on the album still retains the spirit of FALLS OF RAUROS. Absolutely true to themselves and their desire for a deep search in music, this time the musicians include more death metal and progressive rock elements, while the band explores even more deeply black metal influences and North American folk rock, which is actually in the basis of their traditional sound.

In the opening track of the album, „Clarity“, we can enjoy both fresh progressions and atmospheric guitars, as the bridges between the individual dynamics of the song overflow and create a feeling of lightness and elation. The lyrics, although strong, socially oriented and expressively conveyed to the listeners through the emotional vocals of Jordan Guerette and Aaron Charles, pass against the background of ethereal melodies, radiating an atmosphere of calmness, clarity, largely following the post-black metal and blackgaze patterns from the genre.

“No measure, no model, torn fabric of thought
shields the bare aberrant pith of demonstration
Artistry and disregard as a form of refinement
Nothing but forged simulacra of awareness
Held in reverence”

„Desert of Heart“, on the other hand, is like an anthem of despair and inner anxiety. It seems that this song is very personal for the band – in the song the vocals are in the foreground, recreating a hurricane of emotions in which the exploding lyrics come to life, accompanied in places by folklore melodies, so pleasurable to hear in the music of FALLS OF RAUROS, and beautiful long guitar solos.
A very powerful and charged moment from the album, leaving quite a few traces of reflection behind. The whole album carries a heavy shadow that speaks truths. Truths about our present, for which many are blind and deaf. The lyrics aim at the heart of many of the problems of today’s world and that is why I think that this album deserves to be heard and understood by as many people as possible.

Especially with the song „Survival Poem“, FALLS OF RAUROS are painfully relevant. At a time when we are surrounded by violence in dozens of forms, wars – real, on the front, as well as meaningless battles in everyday life, caused by egocentrism and greed, this song sounds insanely relevant.
The poem about survival here is in fact a call to the battle for what’s truly valuable. It is something unique for each individual, but there is one ultimate element that unites us all – each of us wants to protect what is most valuable to us, everyone is ready to sacrifice their all in the name of it. At least the ones with some values in their pocket.

“Patience cannot be afforded
patience is death
strike while they’re vulnerable, inconsonant
preoccupied with the frailty of excuse
We’d die rather than witness
enemies burying our loved ones
our loved ones, our loved ones”

In the song we can again hear many melodic riffs and my favorite intertwining emotional vocals in different tones.

„Known World Narrows“ presents progressive elements, along with the traditional black metal tremolo and blasts, and here we can hear fierce traditional black metal calls, which I really liked in combination with the keyboard and the more classical black metal atmosphere of the song. An inspiring piece that motivates with its rage and is also a clear message that drives to a different dynamic.

“Persist while the known world narrows
Find courage, hold fast while the known world narrows
heritage abandoned at the gallows
Persist while the known world narrows
Lantern throwing its light upon the future
Find courage, hold fast while the known world narrows”

The other two songs from the album have an even stronger message, already digging into the hopelessness of existence. „Daggers In Floodlight“ and „Poverty Hymn“ rediscover the dark side of the human race. They share more about humanity itself, which is being lost more and more due to the vices of each of its representatives. For the poverty of spirit and the need for a clear view and direction in order to survive.

The album itself was written in the form of a manifesto and that is why it deserves attention as such. Take the time to listen carefully to the lyrics, soak up the emotional charge of each song and of course, last but not least, enjoy the dynamic moments in the composition of each of them.
There are many intriguing soundscapes in the title that will impress you and quite a few guitar solos that grab with their playfulness. The very variety of the album is musically catchy and very pleasant to listen to. Although I’m not a fan of progressions in black metal, I like how they are presented as an interesting accent here, without taking up all the sound space. Each of the highlights has its own design and fits perfectly with the overall mood of the album.

As shown on the cover of the album by Austin Lunn (Panopticon), the „key to the future“ is broken in two and whether it can be restored depends on our own inner strength and virtues, our inner drive and the way we deal with everything inherited from previous generations and all the weight of the world, brazenly making its way onto our shoulders.

„Key to a Vanishing Future“ appears with a more avant-garde side of FALLS OF RAUROS, represented by beautiful ethereal melodies and heavier traditional riffs, fused through a number of different elements of black metal, post-black metal, blackgase and death metal genres.
The result is a beautifully composed album with a fiery atmosphere that keeps you waiting until the end of the recording while the strong emotional charge and valuable lyrics distinguish the record  from everything else and definitely leave many traces for reflection.

Оценка: 9/10 ????????????????????????????????????
Любима песен: „Known World Narrows“

FALLS OF RAUROS – „Key To A Vanishing Future“
Label: Eisenwald
Release Date : 25.03.2021
Formats: CD + Ltd. Cassette + LP (later release)
Order link : https://bityl.co/AVCo

There are two available tracks from the album at the moment, hear them below: