Returning are a band from Olympia, Washington that has had music reviewed before in this zine and on this recording goes for a very atmospheric form of cascadian black metal and this is a review of their 2025 album "Numenous" which will be released in June by Bindrune Recordings.
Nature orientated soundscapes start off the album along with some atmospheric sounding synths a few seconds later which also mixes in with the heavier sections of the songs at times. All of the tracks are also very long and epic in length while some of the tracks also add in a small amount of clear singing.
All of the musical instruments on the album also have a very powerful sound to them while the riffs also add in a decent amount of melody. Harsh vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams along with the faster sections of the songs also adding in a lot of tremolo picking and blast beats which also gives the recording more of a raw feeling.
When guitar solos and leads are utilized they are also done in a very melodic cascadian style along with the songs also adding in a good mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts. Clean playing is also added into certain sections of the album as well as the percussion and clear chants also bringing in more of a shamanic atmosphere when they are utilized briefly and one song also brings in a small amount of spoken words. and acoustic guitars. The production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover nature and rewilding themes.
In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Returning and if you are a fan of atmospheric cascadian black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Offerings To The Great Circle". 8 out of 10.
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