Downfall of Nur - Umbras de Barbagia (2015)^{Release ID: 9252}

Downfall of Nur is the brainchild of argentinian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Antonio Sanna and Umbras de Barbagia is his only full-length album to date. Vocal duties are undertaken by guest vocalist Dany Tee, a veteran of numerous acts from Buenos Aries' death and black metal scene. The album is a concept album, relating the tale of the downfall of the Nuragic civilization that populated the Meditteranean island of Sardinia during the Bronze Age, particularly as it relates to the gods and religious practices of the Nuragics.

This is realised through four lengthy tracks and an intro of paganistically-themed atmospheric black metal that, through it's dabblings into dark folk and ambient territory is reflective and pastoral at times and at others, breathtakingly majestic with huge riffs overlaid by traditional instruments such as pipes and strings (which may or may not be synthesized). The counterpoint to all this is provided by Dany Tee's piercing and anguished vocals which are of nerve-shredding intensity and serve to illustrate the tragedy unfolding on this forgotten people by the ruthless invaders who cast them down, the lyrics relating to the destruction and erasure of the gods and temples of the nuragic culture and of how those who fled still carried these beliefs with them, passing them down through the years.

OK, as I have revisited this over the years I must admit that I have had to shed some of my initial overeffusive praise and recency bias as others in the field, such as Saor or Panopticon have exceeded it's scope. That, however, doesn't mean this isn't an album worthy of your time, because it most certainly is if you enjoy either of those two acts mentioned, or high quality atmo-black generally. The musicianship is excellent, Antonio is evidently very accomplished on several instruments, his songwriting has a progressive narrative quality to it and Dany Tee's vocals are some of the most intense I have heard on an atmospheric black metal album. So, if you are in the market for quality black metal with a nice line in paganistic folk accompaniments then you would do well to lend this your ears.