Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms

Following the underground success of their 2018 debut, Between The Winds, Ohio, USA based project UNTAMED LAND – the world’s very first metal band incorporating the feral sounds of classic, old western cinematics – unbridles their sophomore album, Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms, via Napalm Records in 2021. While exploring influence and nuances from various strains of atmospheric metal, UNTAMED LAND traverses wild new frontiers – evoking the ambiance of classic Ennio Morricone/Spaghetti Western soundtracks and traditional old western instrumentals. While some listeners may be quick to label this a purely black metal album before diving into its desert depths, this description only scratches the surface. UNTAMED LAND mastermind, composer and sole performer of all instruments, Patrick Kern, was initially inspired by what he describes as pagan, cosmic and even “doomy” black metal when writing the album, but the material bloomed in a way that is much more multifaceted to be categorized so singularly. With one listen this is made evident, as the album begins with a haunting, yet whimsical old western inspired introduction, “Once Upon A Time In The Kenoma”, before ascending into the grimly epic, piano-laden "A Nameless Shape" – blending ghostly acoustics, doom-drenched riffs and icy screams as it cascades into a wave of blast beats, rhythmic guitars and operatic accent vocals. The track closes with a backing of dominant horns before leading into the introductory organs and forsaken rhythms of the dynamic, ebbing and flowing "Clothed In Smoke" – one of the album’s most movielike offerings. The track peaks with a player piano-interlaced closing passage backed with fiddle, warning drums and electrifying guitars, adding a layered folk-like element to the already diverse offering...