A few weeks ago, the person in my car with me asked who we were listening to because the music was kind of blowing their mind. I get it. It was Valdrin, the black metal wanderers from Columbus who have been putting out creative and aggressive records for more than a decade. I think I had the same reaction first time I heard the band.

 “Beyond the Forest” was their debut way back in 2012, and if you have one of the original copies, definitely take good care of that because not many people have one. Because it didn’t get produced in great numbers. Luckily, Avantgarde is reissuing the album so that more people can have their brains destroyed by this sci-fi opus that never relents over its 12 tracks and 67 minutes. The lineup at the time was vocalist/guitarist/keyboard player Carter Hicks, guitarist Avik Subedi (Colton Deem in the current guitarist), bassist James Lewis, and drummer Ryan Maurmeier, and they created a record that captures the imagination, takes you through a strange adventure and devastates.

“A Drain in the River” is an intro cut, bells chiming as a voice warbles, a heartbeat thrashing as keys dance, swimming into the title track that erupts with drama. Howls scorch as the playing plasters, a fluid fury flooding as a melodic wave crashes down. The pace batters and smears, the speed aggravating as steam collects, acoustics moving in as whispers crawl on top. Leads explode as the pace rushes, and the vocals scorch as synth strikes and the guitars dash away. “Rusalka Succubus” bleeds in, ravaging while wild cries bristle, the leads swimming through stormy waters. Guitars send electricity as the drama spikes, keys raining down as melodies sink into the fog. “Serpent Willow” is an ungodly beast, howls mangling as the playing chews. The viciousness is noticeably increased, chugging with quaking precision, trampling to the bitter end. “Impaled Visions Breed Within the Vines” is fantastical, heavy, and charring, settling into its juices and gradually refiring. Growls spill out as the drums punish, and ghoulish tendencies are dragged into the light, churning and giving off smoke. “Calling to the Canidae Hordes” is tornadic as Hicks wails, “We will ride!” as exciting guitars spike adrenaline. The pace gets faster and explodes, spacious leads filling your head with wonder, power stunning before bleeding away.

“Through the Catacombs” has bustling leads that glimmer, the playing mauling with wide jaws, the guitars spiraling madly. Synth dashes chill as the vocals hammer declarations, melodies glazing with sticky allure. The pace hits harder, firing up as the guitars spindle, zapping with heat. “Come Forth” has guitars gushing and vicious wails, the tempo thrashing wildly, blackening eyes. Finger-tapped soloing spindles and takes breath, brutality crashing down, whispers cackling before fading. “Darkness as Black as Evil” spills cold melody as the vocals retch, synth beams bringing a frosty coverage that makes your bones rattle. “Battles in the Medieval Sky” arrives amid battle cries and a steamrolling fury, great leads stampeding, dazzling with surging blood. The drums mash as the aura turned decidedly evil, melting into acoustics then igniting, speed flooding and soaring into the sky. “In the Vortex of Time/Relinquish Flesh” balances on a synth beam, howls crush as the keys ice wounds, and speaking booms as if from another dimension. Howls gut as a bombastic charge sets off sparks, the keys enveloping as acoustics fade into the distance. Closer “Forgotten Souls” surges, a tornadic gust slashing, an active pace blending into the atmosphere. Melodies swim as a baroque wind chills, guitars marching and hammering into your brain, everything slowly proceeding into the dark.

We don’t do a lot of reissues on purpose because there’s so much vital new music out there, but new life being breathed into “Beyond the Forest” deserves attention. Valdrin have been making dynamic black metal for more than a decade, and their debut hits harder and differently than it did 12 years ago. Luckily, more people will know this now, and this collection can get the proper adulation this creation merits.

For more on the band, go here: https://valdrin.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.sound-cave.com/it/band/valdrin/beyond-the-forest-yellow-vinyl

For more on the label, go here: https://avantgardemusic.com/