Band:	Suldusk
Album:	Anthesis
Style:	Neofolk, Post-rock, Atmospheric black metal, Gothic doom metal
Release date:	March 2024

01. Astraeus
02. Verdalet
03. Crowns Of Esper
04. Crystalline
05. Sphaera
06. Anthesis
07. Mythical Creatures
08. Leven
09. A Luminous End [feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne]

Ever wondered what a combination of atmospheric black metal, neofolk, post-rock, gothic doom, and shoegaze would sound like? Well, now you can find out, because Suldusk have done exactly that here on Anthesis, and another thing, it really works too.

Suldusk formed back in 2018 as a one-woman metal project masterminded by Australian songwriter Emily Highfield, and released its full-length debut Lunar Falls back in 2019. The debut wasn't produced by Highfield alone, as many session musicians contributed on guitars, keyboards, percussions, and cello, but the record still won the hearts of metalheads and non-metalheads alike, and helped put Suldusk on the map. Returning 5 years later with sophomore release Anthesis, Highfield is joined this time around by an impressive roster of guest and session musicians performing a variety of instruments, including guitars, bass, violin, cello, and drums, as well as additional vocals.

If you're wondering what Suldusk is all about, several female-led projects that you may have heard of bear some resemblance to this record, including Myrkur, Helga and Chelsea Wolfe. However, Suldusk offer something even more than those acts; featuring elements of atmospheric black, post-rock and shoegaze, one can also detect slight similarities to the likes of Sylvaine and Alcest. However, unlike all five of these bands, there are also noticeable traces of gothic doom in the band's style as well. All of these elements and influences mentioned above were present on the debut, so those familiar with Lunar Falls will have an indication of what to expect from this latest offering.

A short introduction titled "Astraeus" starts the album off, on which listeners are soon treated to Highfield's delightful angelic voice, which is presented behind some light atmospheric synth work. This is a solid way to begin the album, as it sets the ideal tone for the album's subsequent vibe; Anthesis is mostly composed in a non-metal fashion, with sudden bursts of heavy instrumentation along the way. Following the intro is "Verdalet", which I can only describe as a track of three parts. The track gets off to a pacey start with furious blast beats, blackened tremolo riffs, and howling blackened shrieks, but after several minutes, the song calms down as soft angelic cleans take over from the harsh vocals; the heavy blackened instrumentation also makes way for softer folkish elements provided by cello and dark acoustic melodies. The final stages of "Verdalet" are what find most striking, as here the riff work comes back in a lighter, more hypnotic way, with an elegant, dreamy tone, along with light ethereal synths, as the song concludes in a shoegaze/blackgaze fashion.

Up to this point, listeners have been treated to only a snippet of what the rest of the album offers, yet have already heard neofolk, atmospheric black, and shoegaze; going forward, Anthesis continues to offer much more. From the nature-themed atmospheric synth work, shoegaze background harmonics, stunningly dark acoustic folk passages, and mesmerizing soft vocals of "Crowns Of Esper", through to the atmospherically dark, blackened, and melancholic gothic doom instrumentation of "Anthesis", you'll be treated to a stunning variety of musicianship and exceptional songwriting abilities courtesy of Highfield, as well as all the musicians who participated in this impressive all-round performance.

Simply put, Suldusk is a great new prospect in this recent surge of one-woman and female-led metal projects, with Highfield standing out amongst the many exceptionally talented and ambitious individuals that have been treating us to wonderful metal music of late, doing so here by bringing us the best of atmospheric black, neofolk, post-rock, shoegaze, and even doom all combined brilliantly in one album, Anthesis.