This is the second album from UK black metallers Sea Mosquito.
Majestas contains 44 minutes of esoteric black metal. As a rough starting point, think of a compelling mix of bands such as Aara, Blut Aus Nord, Inherits the Void, Deathspell Omega, Labyrinthus Stellarum, Mare Cognitum, Selbst, and Vorga, although Sea Mosquito do offer up an experience that’s their own.
Sea Mosquito’s style is based on a modern application of the classic second wave black metal template, but this has been shot into the cosmos, all the better to bask in the infinite grandeur of the universe and travel untravelled pathways across the heavens.
Majestas, as befits its name, is majestic and arcane. It’s psychedelic and epic, with a dark heart that burns cold and an atmospheric streak that imbues the music with a sense of vast exploratory scale. However, for all its cosmic aspirations and its mood-rich depth, Majestas is also serrated and cruel. There is a dissonant edge, allowing the six songs to guard their secrets well, and a celestial violence that most would steer clear of if they could. Sea Mosquito embody cosmic atmosphere and melodic aggression, with an intricate delivery that makes for involving and engaging songs.
The album is not simply one thing though, offering instead a multifaceted journey into the void. The well-crafted songs showcase a few different ideas and textures across their running time, including atmospheric beauty, progressive workouts, harsh raging dissonance, and more. Whether it’s a lonesome riff, affecting clean backing vocals, obscure melody, brutal blasting assaults, or anything else, Sea Mosquito have the tools for the job and the skills needed to create something worth exploring.
Sea Mosquito take a rigorous approach to their art, crafting songs that are rich in detail and emotive impact. The more you listen to it, the more you pick up on different facets of the material. Majestas provides the listener with a comprehensive, well-rounded vision for black metal worldbuilding. Sea Mosquito have delivered a very strong record. If you are looking for an album of spectral terror and mystical intensity then Majestas is for you.
Essential listening for fans of modern black metal that probes the outer reaches of creation.
Wonderbox Metal 