1. The use of synth creates a palpable feeling of suspense in the opening track ‘Voideath’ which offers a unique formula from these Germans. Unlike the debut album, Vorga shifts gears towards furious and aggressive territory. The black metal growls are backed by driven riffs and the rhythm guitar gives the song more depth. The drums increase the pace to atmospheric moments that align the synth and the riffs through warping these elements.

‘The Sophist’ injects plenty of guitar melodies into the composition, then evolves into a mid-paced song to elaborate on the songwriting appeal. The bass guitar and the guitars come in perfect conjunction with the snarling vocals and manage to weave such a compelling track. Vorga’s sound appears to be focused on creating different moods: the synth and the spacey guitar riffing weaves some high-quality music with the effective soundscapes of the infinite cosmos conjured by excellent musicianship.

‘Magical Thinking’ is more atmospheric and synth-driven than the previous one but the improved song quality makes it one of the highlights. Not only that but Vorga moreover weaves a contrasting effect with the synth in the slower tempos. The cosmic atmosphere becomes so inseparable from the cold galactic theme of the album. The energetic tempo of the guitars is abrasive and the remarkable use of the blast beats and the solos is nothing short of impressive.

Other songs like ‘The Cataclysm’ open with abrasive blast beats and the tremolo-picked riffs underlining the aggression seem more focused on this song. The melodic and atmospheric features grab your attention as the band pushes through the groovy melodic riffing. Still somehow it misses setting the classic symphonic style of 90s black metal.

Though this is a huge step forward for the band in the blending atmosphere, it is also important to note the diversity of the guitars and the drums as they are equally energetic in creating slow, moody, and melancholy tunes in the track ‘Tragic Humanity’. It begins with a melodic riff when the drums strike furiously and during the fast-paced tempo, the synth essentially moves with the pace of the lead guitars. The vocal style on the album ranges from snarling to dark grim growls offering high value to the music. The tempo shifts are aplenty and there are some hints of symphonic black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir.

Vorga once again proves to be more than a mere average black metal band. The sophomore is an excellent example of how modern black metal band can be. There are some aspects like the fluency of the lead guitars, including the slow gloomy moments and the cohesive performance that is undeniably stellar. The vivid and riff-driven atmosphere illustrates the beauty of the composition and the way each song is composed adds an extra element to songs like ‘Fractal Cascade’. The dramatic opening and the ominous whispers are soon drenched in cold sci-fi synth passages enhanced by heavy guitar riffs that represent what Vorga has achieved in a few years.

These are the main characters of ‘Beyond The Palest Star’  which brings catchy guitar work and exuberant synths to maintain an ominous sonic proportion. The final track ‘Terminal’ which in my opinion is the most impressive track on the album, somehow made me wish that the rest of the songs just had the same vibe. Vorga wraps up a dark cosmic mood of lyricism and music and delivers a powerful aggressive slab of cold, celestial black metal. The guitars and the vocals are the main elements that create a dramatic atmosphere, with the snarling growls and the synth serving as a terrestrial canvas to the bouncing riffs.

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