Ûlairi-Ûlairi

Ûlairi's debut album arrives as a formidable statement in black metal, channelling the raw, unfiltered essence of the genre while managing to capture a deep, eerie ambiance. The multinational quartet, featuring musicians from Norway, the United States, and Catalonia, brings together the talents of Peregrinus, Förau, Sanguinous Moth, and M.W., whose collective experience shines through in both composition and performance. The album’s sound benefits from the synergy of Peregrinus’s guitars and Förau’s synthesisers, creating a sonic landscape that merges the visceral with the ambient elements, crafting a sonic layer that feels both immersive and haunting, a swirling tapestry that is as thick and ominous as the fog on a dark, misty night.
Sanguinous Moth’s vocals are a highlight, adding a profound darkness that aligns seamlessly with the album’s aesthetic. His voice emanates a sinister malevolence, even in the album's quieter moments, lending an almost ritualistic feel to the music. Rather than overwhelming the listener, his vocal work weaves into the fabric of the instrumentals, adding intensity without overshadowing the musical arrangement.
M.W.’s percussion is another keystone of this work, providing dynamic rhythms that elevate the music's primal energy. The percussion guides the album through its shifts in power and pacing, moving deftly between explosive moments and more subdued, eerie passages. The percussion gives the album its drive, anchoring the black metal aesthetic in a way that remains grounded yet forceful.
Ûlairi succeeds in balancing the black metal’s grittiness with a surprising sense of harmony, as each instrument finds its place within the album's layered structure. The result is a record that flows with a wild, almost chaotic energy but retains a sense of melodic restraint, exuding a dark allure, steeped in fiery riffs and brooding synths.