LUSTRE – Wonder (2013)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Label: Nordvis/Eisenwald

Rating: 9/10

Some would argue against the classification of Lustre as Black Metal, typically on the grounds that they are not Satanic in any way. I would argue that the definition of Black Metal has moved beyond simply a Satanic form of art. Is most Black Metal worth listening to Satanic or Orthodox? Probably, but Lustre is an exception to that. Nachtzeit is a brilliant musician with a keen ear for atmosphere/ambiance, and he also composes some great simplistic, pathogenic guitar riffs. His prodigious body of work demonstrates that over and over again. Wonder is no exception to this.

Opener “Moonlit Meadow” features distorted guitar with synthesiser behind it and synth lead for approximately the first eight minutes. It is a mesmerising track that I find best to listen to either very early in the morning when driving around open fields on a sunny spring day, or late on a clear night, which is probably when it was supposed to be listened to. “Green Worlds” suggests the majesty of the natural order during spring, when everything is green again after a long, cold, dreary winter. Once again, the guitar is really just there to help establish the ambiance of the song, and keep a rhythm along with the drum machine. The main synth lead in this song is on the dreamy side. One could easily listen to this at night as well. It is hardly even noticeable, by the way, that this song is an instrumental. The end is painful in its beauty.

The third track, “A Summer Night,” reaches for the depths of my nostalgia and pulls them right out (and I feel nostalgia very acutely, for some reason). I feel my hope dying as I listen to this highly reflective song. At the same time, as the song wears on, I feel like my past is just out of reach, like I might be able to grasp it if I just lean over the railing a little more, and have a chance to re-do my failings... alack, here we are, grounded in reality. The song ends with, dare I say it, a wonderful synth lead. Final track “Petrichor” starts with an entrancing, mesmerising ambient synth background and a synth lead over that. Guitar and drums kick in at 0:50. This track, too, is an instrumental. It is a dreamscape, in my opinion. A state one could reach solely by daydreaming. Multiple synth lead parts build over the rhythm guitar. Halfway through, a synth lead comes in which really, truly evokes a sentiment of wonder, which I should think is what Nachtzeit was hoping to achieve.

In attempting to achieve a sense of wonder, Nachtzeit totally succeeded with this album. It fits each mood perfectly, and is a great album to contemplate over. Recommended on forest-green vinyl, though black is the more limited (200 copies of forest-green, black to 150 copies). It fits the package more; you can get that here, and black here. Both come with a poster. The CD is available here. Enjoy.