The opening track “Neverafter” begins with a swirling vortex of guitar riffing to create a dark gothic atmosphere and lush symphonic soundscapes. The keyboard passages reinforce the atmosphere shrouding the snarling vocals and those riffs carry them along, the clean guitar passages convey a menacing theme. The harmony between the swift riffing and the synth touches are overwhelmingly beautiful, and they’re nothing short of perfection, but afterward, Valdrin utilizes scathing melodies to create intensity on the following song “Golden Walls of Ausadjur”.

While still adhering to the 90s style of melodic/symphonic black metal, Valdrin has somehow modernized its Nordic influences. The album overall has a suspense gothic vibe which creates a mystical atmosphere and seamlessly adapts its themes to ensure a unique experience. The synth and the piano are in equal measure without suppressing the guitar melodies that ebb and flow through the seventy-three-minute duration.“Seven Swords (In the Arsenal of Steel)” begins with some mesmerizing synth intro, however the whole vibe here reminds me of the Castlevania video game.

The thrashing guitars and the rhythm have a furious feel, and there are plenty of blast beats that allow the instruments to reach an aural climax. “Paladins of Ausadjur” is somehow similar to the previous song, the guitar melodies are inspired by Swedish melodic black/death metal, and they remain prominent with a powerful percussion. The guitars provide heaviness and the epic clean vocals midway through the song, along with the bursting percussion storming through the tempo.

Every element in the song “Sojourner Wolf” makes it perfect for the audience, from the snarling growls and the heavy dynamics of the guitars. Woven melodies tear their way into the furious drums the album focuses on the atmosphere, the only problem is that the production is a bit blurry. “The Hierophant” is one of the furious songs in the album, but Valdrin somehow understands how to create some epic moments when the guitar solos and the synth are played together in a very harmonious rhythm.

“Throne of The Lunar Soul” takes you through an epic journey of fictional kingdoms, battles, and ancient mysteries. The lyrical theme of the album constructs a unique experience like an ancient tale about dreamy medieval times, and this somehow reminds me of the band Bal-Sagoth. There are different synth sounds on the album that create a surrealistic feeling. Though I would say the guitar riffs in songs like “Vagrant in the Chamber of Night” showcase a variety of guitar riffing styles, from the tremolo-picked riffs to heavier chords to inject aggression into the song structure. Valdrin’s fourth album is quite menacing and saturated with excessive keyboards, the band takes its inspiration mainly from European black metal bands like Mystic Circle, Dimmu Borgir, and Bal-Sagoth.

“Holy Matricide” features some fantastic galloping riffs and up-tempo drums, then evolves into a melodic maelstrom where the keyboards add sheer beauty to the song. Most of the synth parts here are toned down to focus on the melody, the heaviness of the guitars, and the strong flow with a furious drumming section soon to be joined by a beautiful solo melody. The album’s title track “Throne of The Lunar Soul” is more of a synth-based song, the keyboards provide plenty of hooks for the listener.

Swift guitar rhythms and focused percussion take a major part of this epic song that unleashes waves of emotional energy from the beautiful guitar strings. And the lush symphonies that evolve into a dark choir soundscape by adding an epic guitar solo at the end of the song. “Two Carrion Talismans” offers an unsettling maelstrom of thunderous riffing and percussion that is followed by ominous synth soundscapes. Plenty of tempo changes and riff patterns are showcased here as the enchanting atmosphere leads the way into a much more aggressive tempo. The track also features some dark keyboards and riffs that accompany the synth and the snarling growls til the end.

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