Review by Sonny for Mystras - Castles Conquered and Reclaimed (2020)

Mystras is a solo atmospheric black metal project of Greece's Nihilus Ayloss who is probably better known as Spectral Lore, the cosmic black metal project often found in collaboration with Mare Cognitum. Mystras has been begun as an outlet for a thematically different project, swapping the awe-inspiring majesty of the cosmos for medieval folk and tales of the medieval common man's fight for freedom from serfdom and the corruption of those who would set themselves above them. Mystras itself is the name of a fortified town in Laconia, Greece near the ancient city of Sparta that was the focus of a seemingly unending struggle between the Byzantine Empire and the Franks after the Fourth Crusade.

The albums fifty minutes are spread over five tracks of blistering atmospheric black metal interspersed with short interludes of medieval folk-based instrumental music. Under his Spectral Lore monicker I find that LÜÜP becomes a little bit rambling with some jazzy noodling that I never really enjoy, but here with Mystras he is far more focussed. His atmo-black is reminiscent of Panopticon or Winterfylleth, with sweeping atmospherics crafted to inspire the mind of the listener. The medieval interludes are nice, gentle moments that add a kind of context to the lyrical content of the longer tracks and have been produced with the help of a number of guest musicians. The medieval musical themes are used only sparingly within the main tracks, thus avoiding the kitsch of folk metal accusations - this is most definitely, first and foremost, a black metal album.

My particular favourite (and the album's longest track) is The Murder of Wat Tyler, a devastating indictment, both musically and lyrically, of the deception of the Crown against one of the leaders of England's Peasant's Revolt in late fourteenth century England, a period of history I am particularly interested in and it's nice to hear a metal band relating the tale. Castles Conquered and Reclaimed is indeed one of a rare breed in what is seen as the conservative world of metal that, in a similar way to Panopticon's Kentucky, addresses the struggles of the class of society that most often produces it's adherents.

For me this is Ayloss' best album to date. Although I like Spectral Lore, I prefer the focus and rawer, more aggressive sound he has achieved on this.