Labyrinthus Stellarum – Rift In Reality

Written by on 20-07-2025 at 20:30.

The time when black metal was only allowed to be minimalistic – performed by just guitar, bass and drums, with a raw, lo-fi production and (often) with a pessimistic view of society and a strong distrust of people – is long gone. Right? But of course not everyone thinks that way. There is a fervent group of advocates who want to stay true to the principles of the genre. And there is nothing wrong with that. If you consider yourself to be among the group of gatekeepers and purists, if you prefer your music to be extremely conformist to the original basic principles of black metal, then I advise you to simply skip the band Labyrinthus Stellarum and rather consider this review as non-existent.

Because if there is one thing that Ukrainian Labyrinthus Stellarum is not, it is authentic black metal. Something that was already clearly evident on predecessors Tales of the Void (2023) and Vortex of the Worlds (2024) and is not very different on the third album, Rift In Reality. The project of brothers Alex and Misha Andronati does use many basic black metal elements such as sharp, cutting vocals, heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, fast tempos and unconventional song structures, but the use of a frisky, sound-defining synthesizer drapes atmospheric, dreamy textures over it. Ambient black, then? The band itself chooses to use the term cosmic black metal.

In contrast to much music that is labelled as ambient black, Labyrinthus Stellarum makes less use of a somewhat phlegmatic tempo, and repeating riffs and repetitive melodies occur less often. The beginning of songs such as Ravenous Planet and Take Us Away may be characterized by a somewhat calmer tempo, but as soon as the vocals make themselves heard and drums and guitars are coming to the forefront, the speed quickly increases. We actually encounter that fast tempo throughout the whole album (Voyager, the title track, Cosmic Plague). Only halfway through the album (Lost In The Void) do floating, playful synthesizer lines take you on a sonic, cosmic journey through the endless universe at a somewhat more moderate pace.

The lively, electronic elements, which give the album a somewhat bouncy, cheerful character play their part in determining the atmosphere and sound of the album. However, don’t be misled by the excitement of the electronic beginning of Voyagers or the frivolous start of Liftoff; once you get going, a large part of the cheerful, frisky playfulness is seamlessly interwoven with a sharper elaboration, which is mainly created by dogged guitar lines, captivating melodies and raging blast beats. Everything comes together to create a very catchy album. Rift In Reality creeps smoothly and quickly into your ear canals increasing the chance that, before you know it, the eight songs will manage to conquer a permanent place there. Blackened, shrill, at times aggressively biting (title track Rift In Reality) vocals are alternated with soulful, melodic, harmonious vocals and some sporadic whispering (Take Us Home), with a light layer of distortion constantly placed over all vocals. It makes the already dreamy ambiance of the album even more mystical, fuller, even more personal.

Thematically, don’t expect the more common subjects in ambient black metal like nature or mythology, but a story about space travelers who have left their home world to reveal the mysteries of time and space. In search of the Void; the cradle of the worlds, the origin of matter. But when they enter the Void, things go wrong and they unintentionally release an all-destructive swarm of parasites into their world. “The truth we sought and all our hopes have vanished in the dark. The sacred place we used to worship became the grave for our kind.” (Lost In The Void). Ideal reading for lovers of fantasy and science fiction, right?

Just like their previous albums, this new Rift In Reality by Labyrinthus Stellarum is an album where the boundaries between black metal and electronic experiments become more and more blurred and merge into a unique, atmospheric symbiosis. It makes this album very interesting for those who are musically more adventurous and who appreciate it when bands dare to color far outside the usual lines or like to go beyond boundaries. To use the words of the band itself, taken from the song Liftoff: “We strive to go beyond the boundaries of everything we know. To find the key that will reveal to us the passage to the Void.” How will this turn out for you? Will you jump on board and join this cosmic adventure?

Score:

82/100

Label:

Northern Silence Productions, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. Voyagers
  2. Ravenous Planet
  3. Take Us Home
  4. Rift in Reality
  5. Lost in the Void
  6. Cosmic Plague
  7. Liftoff
  8. Nirlakh

Line-up:

  • Alex Andronati – Vocals, drum programming
  • Misha Andronati – Guitars

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