I sort of enjoyed the two prior releases from Sweden’s cosmic black metal act, Lightlorn; the debut EP, These Nameless Worlds, and the 2023 debut full-length, At One with the Night Sky. I own both physical CDs, and they fill that early Deafheaven, Soul Dissolution, Alkhemia, Vallendusk, Numeron, Vela Pulsar, Spectral Lore styled melodic/atmospheric black metal craving I get.

So when the band announced their second full-length album, it was an immediate preorder, as I hoped the band would take the next step on from their almost perfect debut EP, which was just a slight step up from the EP, but didn’t quite fulfill the EPs potential.

Well, I’m both a bit happy and a bit disappointed with this album, as the band is consistent in the fact they are still treading that line between OK, and really, really good as The Ebb and Flow of Galactic Tides is a solid effort and certainly stays in line with the debut album- but again it never takes that next step to greatness, being tantilizingly short of being a truly elite band in the genre.

The 6-song, 44-minute affair has all the elements of the genre: distant black metal howls, a starry, uplifting yet and the same time somber, sense of melody,  and atmosphere that canters and jangles with sparkling, and at times, wondrous riffs as heard on standout “A Phantom in Endless Night” or more mid-paced “I Carry Galaxies”, and its soaring clean chorus and closer””Eternal Recurrence of the Same”, which dies have a killer melodic riff.

But as with prior efforts, nothing truly and fully grabs your attention and commands that you give repeated listens. It’s all just very…..nice? I am fine listening to the album as background music or headphones to relax before bed, but I’m never craving or fully wanting to listen to the album like I am with say, Vallendusk. The tracks never fully peak, and sound a bit similar as the album gets to the last stanza of “Super Luminal”.

I want to really love these guys more, I really do. They, on occasion, scratch that cosmic/atmospheric black metal itch, but for now, they remain just a solid act that hasn’t quite reached their potential, yet. (I hope).

[Visit the band's website]

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