Arx Atrata, although nominally a band, is the brainchild of Ben Sizer, a multi-talented musician whose abilities come second only to his imagination on the path untravelled. Defined as ‘atmospheric black metal’, although that scarcely does the varied and oft-beautiful music within justice, the path untravelled is a stunningly recorded body of work that ebbs and flows with all the depth of construction that one might expect from a classical piece. Building upon 2013’s oblivion and 2016’s spiritus in terra (bot which were hailed by the metal media), the path untravelled is a mature and perfectly-paced offering that deserves to reach beyond narrow genre parameters and garner a wide audience.
Opening with an unspeakably gorgeous introduction that is more post-rock than black metal, MCMLXXVII, sets a lush tone for the album, the ethereal guitars coalescing into a single shimmering thread that stretches away toward the sky. It’s a beautiful and evocative opening, although it shouldn’t be assumed that there isn’t brutality woven into the framework, the molten riffs that Ben layers over one another slowly building towards to be reborn, a piece built around fiery guitar work reminiscent of Blut Aus Nord and overlaid with a harsh, blackened rasp that renders the vocals rather more textual than intelligible. The sense of wonder continues as the album heads into an undying verse, the melody carried by a clean guitar that chimes out from beneath the haze of the heavier riffs. Once again, it’s the deft layering of the different elements; each guitar line perhaps unremarkable in itself, but combined into a single, glorious wall of sound; that provokes a surprising depth of emotion, the swirling sound perfect to lose oneself within for the duration of the record, preferably somewhere free from interruption. Allowing a subtle pause, the title track grows from synth strings into a gleaming, multi-faceted piece of music driven by innovatively-arranged percussion and allowed space to solidify around a single, echoing piano motif that manages to be heart breaking despite its simplicity. A lengthy track that continually evolves, it is no wonder that it was chosen as the title piece, for it truly encapsulates the heart and soul of the record.
Another track that takes its time to emerge from a subtle, post-rock opening, Elmet conjures an air of pastoral serenity before Ben summons forth some of the album’s most seismic riffs, the churning layers of noise sweetened (but not defanged) by synth choirs and piano melodies that raise themselves periodically above the waves. Perhaps the album’s densest track, brethren and betrayer cleaves closer to doom, the blackened vocals notwithstanding, harking back to early Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride with its icy riffs and implied melodies sinking deep beneath the skin. It leaves The Wraith to bring the album to a suitably dramatic close, the fluid dynamic that Ben employs neatly encapsulating the strengths of the album as a whole in one last outpouring of emotionally-charged and wind-swept metal.
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With only seven (albeit lengthy) tracks on offer, the path untravelled is commendable in its imagination and admirable in its restraint. Not a note feels out of place and the album as a whole flows beautifully. The vocals, more felt than fully comprehended, add to the feeling that this is a soundtrack to an imaginary movie; a fluid and dynamic piece that stimulates the imagination and heightens the senses. Bold, beautiful and haunting, the path untravelled is a work of art and highly recommended. 9.5
