Autumn Nostalgie from Slovakia and Hænesy from Hungary are both black metal bands, and this is their latest split release.
Across a total of 32 minutes, each band provide two songs to Awaking Mechanon. Autumn Nostalgie’s contribution lasts 18 minutes and Hænesy’s 14 minutes.
I honed in on this split as I wanted to hear Hænesy’s new material, (also check out Katruzsa, Earth and Space, and Garabotzia if you’re unfamiliar with the band), but I’ve never heard Autumn Nostalgie before, so it’s a good introduction to them.
Hænesy open the split with the sound of ominous bells, courtesy of Through the Storm of Everlasting Complaints. A mysteriously calm-yet-ominous introductory passage leads into a steamrolling melodic powerhouse of feeling-rich aggression. It’s a highly expressive piece that contains elements of post-blackened atmosphere, blackgaze resplendence, and depressive black metal intensity. Hænesy have not disappointed with this opening cut.
After this we get the first song by Autumn Nostalgie – Hüperion. This song boasts a sound that’s brightly melodic and displays a sharp depressive/blackgaze edge. Whereas Hænesy incorporate these influences into their atmospheric post-black metal framework, Autumn Nostalgie bring them to the foreground, delivering a song that’s both upbeat and melancholic. Imbued with energy, despite having a core of dark despair, Hüperion features strong songwriting and some well-crafted moods. I particularly enjoy the build up that starts at about the six-minute mark, from the light section to the end of the song.
Sarepta follows, also by Autumn Nostalgie. This song powers along with melodic splendour and a sense of underlying strength drawn from the focused drumming, until dropping into a textured field of colour that’s inhabited by predatory vocals and swirling leads. From here it builds to a stirring storm of vivid hues, as the screams crackle lightning across a detailed landscape. This is probably my favourite of Autumn Nostalgie’s two songs.
The split is closed by Worldfall by Hænesy, which spends the first third of its running time crafting ambient instrumental atmosphere, before building on this to produce a broader soundscape. The remainder of the song reveals itself to be a blackened work of shifting intensity, that gradually becomes more aggressive as it develops, but without losing its melodic heft, until it collapses into an expanded version of the first couple of minutes. It’s an interesting and satisfying track, and possibly my favourite from Hænesy’s contributions, although it’s a tough call.
Awaking Mechanon is a quality split release that’s worth your time if this style of black metal speaks to you. Both bands complement each other well and provide a holistic listening experience from start to finish for the listener to lose themselves in.
Wonderbox Metal 