...

Lluvia was born from the ashes of a band called The Rain in Endless Fall, a sombre black metal beast that came into existence in the Pacific Northwest. The Rain in the Endless Fall put out a couple of promising tape demos and a split over the last year or so on Fallen Empire Records, the notable US label specializing in all things obscure, black metal, analog and worth a damn, before rechristening themselves Lluvia. If you caught our stream of Lluvia's first song, "Espada De Bronce", on IO a month or so back, you know what to expect: cryptic, cold and relentless atmosphere-rich black metal. The mastermind behind Lluvia, Lord Vast—also a member of the excellent Blut der Nacht and Wylve—has one further qualifier for his music: this is Mexican black metal. Lord Vast is originally from and currently lives in Mexico, and draws inspiration from his home country for Lluvia.

"Viento Helado" and "Sombras Imperiales" are the two opening tracks off of Premonicion de Guerra, Lluvia's first release, due out on Fallen Empire in December. "Sombras Imperiales" sets the bar for huge, expansive—Lord Vast is aptly named—and raw black metal. The depressing and menacing intro that kicks off "Sombras Imperiales" gives way to all out blasting and twisted, dissonant riffs. Vocals are distant, buried rasps, and snares pop with unrefined brutality right up front. A brief respite a few minutes in allows for time to find sure footing and nod your head a bit before barreling back into the frenzy. A later break soars to epic heights, finding some unexpected beauty and giving us a glimpse of what could come on the album.

The LP is available to pre-order from Fallen Empire, and a cassette version is available to pre-order from Mordgrimm. Shipping begins mid-December, at which time the album will also be available to download for a pay-what-you-will price from the treasure trove that is the Fallen Empire Bandcamp.

— Wyatt Marshall

...

...