I'm going to do my best not to gush like a pre-teen girl at a Justin Bieber concert but this album has moved my soul like none other that I have ever heard

Reviewing Andacht by who are now one of my favorite metal acts, Lunar Aurora is by no means a testament to the legendary status of this album. Andacht is the final release of the German masters of sorrowful Black Metal before they went on their indefinite hiatus in 2007.

Andacht bends the mind and torments the spirit in a more powerful manner than any Black Metal I have feasted my ears on before. Picture yourself lost at sea, on an old longboat, with no food, no fresh water, and no wind. The tranquility suddenly turns to mayhem as the overpowering maelstrom destroys your boat and draws your lifeless body deeper, you give off your last breaths, before death does its part. An image as bleak and as melancholic as this is exactly the vision I have when listening to this album. This is no Pacific Northwestern ode to nature, this is no Hellish Scandinavian aggression, this is just eternal darkness. A world so black that only Lunar Aurora and the incredible opuses which each stand out but remain unified in the majesty that is Andacht could evoke. Each song weaves itself into your mind like a slowly evolving poison that darkens your thoughts and continues its spellbinding journey long after the final track is finished. This is an album that I am so enthusiastic about, that each song has echoed in my mind for hours on end, each song invoking the darkness of this atmosphere, each song a misanthropic justification, to the mastery of true cold Black Metal.

In recent times, I have had my fair share of emotional difficulty. I've dealt with a lot of disappointment in these last few months. But unlike some albums from other Ambient bands like Wolves in the Throne Room or Fauna, the blackened anthems and tortured misanthropy that weave their way through my speakers not only uplift me but motivate me. We all acknowledge that Black Metal is something that can never be explained to someone who does not listen to the genre, and that all they'll hear is a buzzing guitar sound and screeched vocals, but to us, the few in this world who completely understand Black Metal, well, albums like this provide an emotional and mental effect like no other music can.

Each song is similar in nature, and the aura created by the music itself never changes and never dies, yet each song also individually stands out as some of the best music I have ever heard. Lunar Aurora have what I have determined to be the best guitar sound in all of Black Metal. There is the cutting edge, razor sharp effect on one side of the coin, and on the other there is a warmth and solidified tone that really projects itself beautifully on all speakers. The lyrics are all in German, and they sound fantastic. The lurching yet on point effect that the vocals bring to the overall sound is essential to the environment created by Lunar Aurora.

Sometimes, with more Ambient Black Metal releases such as this, it can be hard to enthrall oneself in the music, especially given the fact that many albums start off slowly with a long, drawn out intro. Andacht starts off with Gluck, an 11 minute masterpiece with an intro only lasting about two minutes. What makes Gluck, and each song on Andacht nothing short of perfection is that Lunar Aurora capture the best of many scenes. There is a perfect combination of ambiance that is the signature of USBM nature heavy bands like Wolves in the Throne Room or Fauna and there are also essences of the great drumming and riff heavy Black Metal that Scandinavian bands like Mayhem and Immortal established. The drumming here is top notch, and some of the best I've heard in many years of Black Metal worship. The frequent yet never stale speedy double bass is played with the precision and pace of Death Metal, and the blast beats rival Nick Barker in terms of mistake free, machine like, yet strangely human quality. While the drums here are phenomenal and rounded, there never is a question to the human element to the drums. Some complain that the overly technical playing of the likes of Inferno ruin the human sound of the band. With the drumming here, the listener gets the talent, and the humble humanity of the drums played on Andacht . Much like Lunar Aurora combine the sound of many top acts, the drumming also communicates the best of both worlds. The production quality of the drums are perfect, with just the right amount of spotlight given to the kick, snare, and cymbals, all of which are played with perfect cohesion. I'm not sure how Lunar Aurora feel about Andacht, but I know for sure that smelting these metal scenes together to create this epic genius is probably the way Henry Bessemer felt when he discovered the steel process.

What makes this album even more engaging is the use of synthesizers and keyboards to perfection. There are sound effects of what sound an old wooden galleon calmly rocking to a gentle sea, howling female nodes which haunt the listener with harrowing efficiency, as well as well spotted keyboard lines, and best of all is the beautiful usage of Gregorian Choirs. They are frequently inserted but they always come in at the perfect time, especially in the riveting conclusion of Der Pakt, which might surpass Fagning by Windir as my favorite Black Metal song ever. The excitement at what I'm hearing is unparalleled in any Black Metal I've ever heard. That's right. I'm excited!!! I'm thrilled that at this point in the 21st Century and at this point in the two plus decades of Black Metal there is still such utter brilliance emitting from the genre. The melancholy, the musicianship, the structure, everything about this album is overwhelming and impossible to absorb fully in a lifetime. In fact, I didn't even notice the keyboards the first time through. I was lulled into an eerie and mystifying trance that only world class Black Metal can do.

I don't know what the criteria for making an album Classic is. I didn't put Andacht in that column due to it only being a couple years old. Believe me when I say this: Andacht is an immortal piece of history, a metal album that shatters all plains of reality, a masterpiece that can make even the bleakest of Black Metal fans optimistic about the future. Ladies and gentlemen, get out there and buy this album. You won't regret it.