Review: Vnder A Crvmbling Moon ‘II: Aging & Formless’
Vnder A Crumbling Moon, the post-metal five-piece from Devon, UK may be a relatively new entity, but their dark, abrasive soup has been gestating for several years, boasting a pedigree of some of the UK’s finest underground metal acts. Their powerful blend of black metal, doom and hardcore began life as guitarist Scott Taylor’s project The New Sun, laying the foundation for what would come.
Since 2023, the band has compiled an EP and two full-length albums; 0.1 The Prelude, I: Oblivion and boast a pair of 4/5 reviews in Kerrang! to bolster their resume which is an impressive rise in a short space of time. With their latest release II: Aging & Formless, they look to pull the listener in with their all-consuming vortex of slow and considered, cerebral post-metal.
It is easy to compare the band to Cult of Luna and certainly Vnder A Crumbling Moon, or VACM for short, tip their caps to the Swedish behemoths with their considered, angular and yet melodic approach to composition, with all but two tracks clocking more than eight minutes as they take their time to guide the listener on a journey on their terms. Every entry has been intricately assembled to fit into the puzzle, revealing the overarching nature of what they are trying to achieve. Riffs and lyrical themes maintain a continuity that adds subtle shades of grey that are more noticeable on each passing listen. Like all good albums of this type, it requires multiple indulgences, stepping close to see the fine brush strokes.
Nomad begins with a building hum, clean Celtic-flavoured notes emerge from the haze before the resonant thump of Scott Humphreys on drums and the low end of Andy Price’s bass join the swell. As the band add to the thick sound, they break out into a rich mid-paced groove with guitarists Taylor and John Davidson trading back and forth between the ringing sounds and fuzzed-out undertones.
Increasing the tension, they finally unleash the unrestrained heaviness that has bubbled beneath the surface and vocalist Ray Arrell stamps his gruff authority in a purposeful statement over the drifting chord progressions. In full flight the track is dense, progressively complex and yet drenched with enough melody to allow it to breathe, each intricate run carefully placed for maximum impact as the intensity rises for the towering climax.
They follow up this languid opener with a similar tactic for Nocturnal Passenger. Taking their time to lead the listener into their full-force assault adds to the impact when the heavier moments hit. Over the sombre soundtrack, Arrell bellows, full-throated, scraping the vocal cords articulating the lyrics that drip with brooding melancholy. The pressure and weight increase to almost suffocating levels and the swooping, diving bends disrupt the immaculate, stately composition, teasing melodies which accentuate the anguish and emotion. Towards the back end of the track, they veer off into a prog-style instrumental that achieves soundtrack levels of beauty, serving to make the final descent back into crushing doom all the more extreme.
Fans of Amenra, Cult of Luna and the Pelagic roster need to get their ears around this one as soon as they can…
The light strains of Procession with its bubbling electronics act as a light interlude after the battering. The short instrumental shifts direction with the lead guitar duelling against synth sounds as a sci-fi soundscape emerges. The clarity of the production which was handled by the band themselves is a testament to the singularity and purpose of the vision they are trying to create.
Breach The Sky shatters the peace with Humphreys drums as VACM sets off on another muscular but melodic dance. Over the faltering rhythm, Arrell pours out his heart and soul before they break into a soaring chorus that sounds majestic with its greater range of screams. As the wide-ranging sounds become more prominent, it is not hard to see the influence of Cult of Luna’s Vertikal, but the introduction of plaintive, clean vocal harmonies buried beneath the swirling composition shows that they are no mere copyists. Returning finally to the quicker, triumphant-sounding chorus, the uplifting sense of hope makes this an absolute standout amongst some stiff competition.
Slow burning, lumbering doom heralds The Breathing Of Monsters which incorporates more of the sounds that have been subtly introduced. Working from a sludge paced crawl which lends a palpable sense of gravity, to choppy instrumentalisation leads, to a huge chorus dripping with passion and the distorted spoken word passage gives this a documentary-like feel. Despite the majority of the tracks being similar in tempo, the constant evolution of the sound within each moment makes them feel like an act in the larger piece, with each layer of the story adding to the overall narrative.
Fall… Still sticks out as an oddity amongst the dense, serious post-metal angst. The woozy, Americana string bends and crooned vocals remind me of Spider Kitten’s more avante-grade work as the bird song sounds give way to baritone slides and isolated ringing notes. This old-world stillness should be opposed to the futuristic sounds of Procession, but as it draws to a close, that hint of electronica emerges to maintain the theme.
Bury Me With The Fallen Trees breaks the ceiling of a double figures run time they have been threatening for the epic finale. The sheer weight of the track should be overbearing, but the expert use of dynamics keeps the tension and serenity balanced between overwrought anguish and build-and-release catharsis. If ever someone claims that this type of music can feel dispassionate, they should listen to the moment when Arrell pleads ‘So I can feel the sun… we so can see forever…’
Aging & Formless has attracted a slew of good reviews already and for good reason. Vnder A Crvmbling Moonhave created a thoroughly contemporary album that looks to put their name on the map as a band to pay attention to. Fans of Amenra, Cult of Luna and the Pelagic roster need to get their ears around this one as soon as they can.
Label: Ripcord Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
