Saidan - Onryō II: Her Spirit Eternal (2022)^{Release ID: 36215}

Calling this melodic black metal isn't incorrect, but nor does it tell the full story. There are actually a lot of other influences jumping in and out of Saidan's work, and I can't say that they're all working for me. The black metal aspect is quite decent for the most part, although much of it has a lightness to it that reminds me of a blackgaze influenced Cradle of Filth (cradlegaze?). Add to this the tendency for the band to throw in punk, folk and even a Slayer style thrash riff, and you've got an adventurous album that jumps wildly up and down my personal preference meter.