Of Seasons, Sorrow, and Hope: Uamh's Atmospheric Black Metal Evokes the Natural World on "Ràithean" (Early EP Stream)

Change is a constant, and perhaps nothing on our planet is as constant as the change between seasons. There’s always things to mourn as the weather turns, but there’s things to welcome as well–even though fall will soon turn to winter here in Midwest America, the promise of glittering snow balances the world’s lack of color. Uamh‘s new EP Ràithean draws inspiration from the change of seasons and perfectly captures the combination of loss and potential that these transitions bring. Ràithean‘s atmospheric black metal rages, grieves, and sings of hopes to come.

The Montana-based project’s last EP A Windswept River’s Edge, Carved Through Ancient Stone took a mournful tone at times, with hints of Americana adding a personal angle to its laments. However, Ràithean seems possessed by the full force of nature. Through atmospheric, enveloping black metal, the EP impresses upon listeners the daunting scope of our planet’s capacity to reshape the land we walk on, addressing the complex implications of this with two intricate tracks.

Melody and driving songwriting carry Uamh’s vision of atmospheric black metal on Ràithean. Gales of powerful riffing bear curious, lively tendrils that find their way home to the heart despite the storms, and careful usage of drums, such as their absence in the midsection of “Sruth Beinne,” makes every return to full volume monumental. Sole member Urisk Uaine weaves this core sound together with mystical ambient sections–and a burbling stream at one point–to create narratives with their own changes and conclusions. Much like the dawning of a new season, listening to Ràithean feels like experiencing something greater than humanity, but still somehow intensely personal: both painful and uplifting.

Stream the album here before it releases on Friday:

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The artist comments:

The first drafts of these songs were written and recorded between the seasons of Winter and Spring ’22. They were pushed to completion between the seasons of Summer and Autumn ’22.

These songs attempt to capture the seasonal changes that occurred in the forest and on the grassy plains of Montana. During this span of time, one can witness a whole span of life unfolding and fading to take a new form.

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Ràithean releases November 4th via Fiadh Productions.