Review by Sonny for Werian - Animist (2019)

Werian's debut full-length weaves three blackened-doom tales of animistic shamen warriors invoking their gods and crushing all their enemies before them. Their interpretation of blackened doom doesn't just involve some doomy slow bits and some faster black metal bits, this is a genuine hybrid of doom and black that both makes the doom feel more aggressive and the blackness more earthy. Then, woven about this black/doom chimera, are influences of shamanic ritualism and psychedelia that allows for a truly unique doom experience. It all comes to a sublime head on the mighty, seventeen-minute-plus March Through Ruins, a track that is fast becoming a real favourite of mine. Additional kudos for recording the album live in the studio - how many bands would dare to do that these days?