Published: November 6, 2019

Interlude is the debut album from Canadian Melodic Black Metal band Maeskyyrn. Somewhat unimaginatively titled, the album has three tracks titled Interlude as well for good measure. My first thought is I'm seeing a lot more metal (Black Metal in particular) coming from Canada. Having now listened to this album I can safely add this to the list of good Black Metal from Canada. As debut albums go this is a solid offering with some really great highlights. As a concept (if Interlude is a concept) I'm not really sold. At just over forty six minutes this album is essentially a handful of seven-ish minute songs broken up by these somewhat odd synthesised intermissions. These three interludes (plus the intro and outro) seem to achieve little in terms of what they bring to the overall experience, feels a lot like filler. Furthermore they do not seem to flow especially well to or from the leading or preceding tracks respectively (with the exception of the intro). Honestly, I'd rather have had these removed altogether and been presented with a belter of an EP. For the most part, this is as previously mentioned a Melodic Black Metal album; it leans towards to heavier end of the spectrum rather than atmospheric but still has plenty of mood.

The instruments all put in a very strong performance and decent production gives each of them discernable presence throughout. There are spatterings of other influences present at different points of the record. Some doom-esque riffs early on in Gathering Believers Among Sheeps (and again in Of Forests And Troubled Past), some raspy death style vocals thrown in to These Battlefields Where None Walks Twice and occasional clean backing vocals, most notable in the last song. The overall disposition of the album is one of melancholy and despair. On more than one occasion I find myself likening the sound to another album I reviewed not so long ago, by Deadwood Lake. The pitch often shifts in whole octaves, a technique used to manipulate the emotional travel of the song and its executed with great effect. Coupled with distinctly varied movements, uses of slower, sometimes acoustic bridges the songs are relatively complex constructs that hold your attention well. This style of songwriting hints at Post Black but thankfully never really goes there. The Slow Death Of The Years And Other Omens takes on an unusually jovial, almost bouncy melody albeit maintaining a minor key; it sounds initially somewhat out of place. But as the track develops and reveals its multiple enactments I do find myself liking it more and more. At around three quarters the introduction of choral baking vocals adds a tranquil, haunting quality, leading us into a semi acoustic bridge before unleashing hell in the closing passage. 

This is a great track despite the initial impression of being a little out of sync with the rest of the album. Overall, I really did enjoy this album even if at times felt mildly frustrated by the overdose of filler. Stripped back and kept simpler I'd have given the individual songs a higher marking, but as an album it falls a little short of the mark. That said, I'll be eagerly awaiting their next output. 6/10