After ten years of silence, Wallachia released their second full length Ceremony of Ascension. Let’s see what this Norwegian black metal band has in store for us that kept us waiting for all this time.

Wallachia is definitely a black metal band from the present, meaning that they produce black metal with a modern sound which easily can be mistaken for some typical death metal influences. On one hand, this has as the consequence that it’s hard to get into the right atmosphere, which to me is a very important characteristic of a black metal band. On the other hand though, melodic parts like during 'Kamikaze Christians' make up for it and produce just the proper vibe. Oh yes, and Wallachia most certainly caught my attention during the slower part following by that fantastic riff of 'Sanctimonia XXII'.

The thing about Ceremony of Ascension is that it’s a combination of aggressiveness and absolutely beautiful parts with a very cold feel to it. I know for a fact that there are a lot of people enjoying this typical combination, especially since the production is clean, the riffs are challenging, the drums are varied and the melodies are very interesting. Unfortunately, like I mentioned before, I can’t get over the big contrast within the songs. It’s still a bit hard for me to make up my mind about these Norwegians, since it feels like I’m listening to multiple bands on one album. But Wallachia produced an amazing album, that’s for sure. I do recommend that you check them out!