This is another case where introducing the ideals of the project are best left to the artist:

“From the deeper and most ancient past of the Mesopotamic Culture, those who live heavens and subsoils, Gods and Demons, fight one against the other to reach the Eternity, sustaining the entire balance of the Universe; spreading their ancestral message to the mankind through Lalartu, the Greatest Herald, the one who is the Spectre Essence, the Mask Carrier of Fecundity, the Traveller of the Heavens Gate Kadingir, Itinerant Spirit of the Twelfth Planet. Amongst the outermost loneliness, the emptiness and spiritual dismay, the ancient and secret forbidden language with the unpronounceable name, will guide you throughout an introspective and emotional journey across Occult and Ancient Connections, Esoterically and Rituals Boundings, Cosmogony and Cosmology, Universe and Earth, where the Highest and Heavenly Angers, the Strongest Energies which reign the semisphere of the Underworld, will arise through the darkest and deepest sensations of the Self and the Soul, of the Everything and the Nothing.”

Call that rhetoric, rantings of a madman, or personally just plain interesting; the music suits these dark ideals quite well. Kadingir is the pendulum swinging between violent night terrors and eerie visions. The album is a pretty even 50/50 ratio of exquisite dark ambient tracks and more straight-forward black metal aggression. This results in a fair amount of dynamice and a truly immersive experience. The harsher parts seem harsher while the quiet moments all the more anxiety-inducing. As a result, it is best played from start to finish.

That being said, there are plenty of solid tracks to sink one's teeth into. The first thing that really struck me about the heavier moments is the vocals. The guitars do a good job of creating imposing melodies on firey tremolos and doomy chord progressions, but it is the unholy ripping of the screeches and grunts that took me in its clutches. I have said time and again that presence is crucial when it comes to crafting a black metal release that stands out in the sea of pretenders. Titaan lives up to its name in this respect. This is apparent from the first proper track, "Nis Ilim Zakaru," and exemplified even further on "Titaan."

So it was the vox that got me started, what made me stick around? Again, it has a lot to do with the eb and flow of styles. Aside from the reverb-heavy distortion and drumming, Titaan utilizes everything from ambient noise to acoustic guitars to Emperor-ish symphonics to additional percussion. Transitions between can be smooth and foreboding, or stark and disconcerting as with the sudden jump to the repeated mantra and timpani(?) strikes of "Itima." In line with the artist's ambitions, I really do feel as if I am being taken on a journey through time and space and encountering various layers of belief and mythology.

Ultimately, Kadingir is a mind-contorting trip I recommend taking. If you find yourself unsure of the ambient bits, a nice starting place might be the infinitely more aggressive "Sebet Babi," which almost reaches the brutality of Gloom, albeit still awash in a blackened, cavern-like aesthetic. That should get you going, but I assure you that the breaks in between add volumes to the overall effect. So here's to starting 2016 strong with the first rock solid BM release to pass my ears. Get cracking.