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By Daniel Pinheiro (Utopia Platafórmica)
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Taurus is an artist of many traits and the mastermind behind Fellwinter and Gauntlet Ring, along with Arbor, of course. These three projects are some of the most exciting black metal out of the USBM scene, and it is their simplicity and melodic ability that makes them stand out. Focusing on the project’s recent fifth demo In Starless Night… We Follow a River of Blood, released in March, we can easily hear that Taurus has taken the same path that led him to the work he put out on the previous demos; in other words, he has stayed true to his art. Some may say that this is the easy path, the effortless path; but I dare to disagree.
Arbor’s black metal is one of beauty. Raw, yet melodic. Slow paced moments where the listener is taken out into the mountains, through peaceful rivers and desolated plains. Without sounding “folk” or “pagan”, his music is, from my perspective, so enrooted in nature that this folk or pagan image is reasonable. Where Winter Moon was mellow and melancholic, for In Starless… he puts forth a different facet of his music, presenting faster tracks as opposed to the slower pace he started with. Both are impressive, and both display what I would risk saying are distinct emotional states, and that differentiation makes Taurus’ music with Arbor – and pretty much everything he touches – amazing and distinct.
I feel, with these demos, that he is displaying more influences from Eastern black metal. He does cover Graveland on this demo, so I would say Infernum, Fullmoon and Veles might be named in terms of influences, along with the BlazeBirth Hall. The whole Polish black metal scene from the ’90s is musically outstanding, although… we all know what it was all about, right? So please note that for this mention I am only focusing on the artistic details, and not personal artist opinions.
So: Arbor is the musical endeavor of one very talented musician that goes by the name of Taurus, from New York City. Taurus has been releasing black metal demos under the moniker Arbor since 2021, and along with bands like Kastrum has restored my hopes that the whole raw black metal scene would reach an end, and that REAL black metal would resurface.
Hate me for my words, but I could care less.
In Starless Night… We Follow a River of Blood released March 3rd via Blood and Crescent.
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Cassette sold out. No digital available. Good luck on Discogs.
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