HAPPY FRIDAY y’all!

It has been a long-ass week and I’m kind of exhausted as we approach the end of it, so I won’t waste too much time or energy on introductory matters. Let’s just say I’ve got some atmospheric blackgaze to share with you.

One album that came out last summer and quickly found its way onto my list of 2025’s best releases; the other is just coming out TODAY and wouldn’t be terribly surprising if it ended up headed in a similar direction by next January…

 

Remaining Warmth – Before the Years (self-released, 06 June 2025)

 

Domhain – In Perfect Stillness (These Hands Melt, 20 February 2026)

 

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Remaining Warmth consists of Andrey Novozhilov from Olhava, whom we’ve mentioned here previously, among others, and Pavel Kolosov from APRS, among others. All of which are apparently associated with the Russian collective Reflection Nebula.

Last June’s Before the Years was the first material to be released under the Remaining Warmth name, although if you check out their Bandcamp page you’ll find more for you to check out since then, seemingly alternating which of its members is principally responsible for the writing and performing, although there does seem to be some degree of collaboration and crossover.

Opening track “Of Small Hands and Endless Fields” takes a while to work up to its commencement: the first half of its eight-plus minutes consists of quietly droning synth chords that build up a spacious and serene atmosphere, paired with the occasional sound of children playing or shouting, but eventually the drums and distorted guitar chords kick in — the “black” part of “blackgaze,” if you will. But instead of black metal aesthetics coming in and swallowing up everything else, the layers of guitar chords and rhythm section blend seamlessly with the rest, serving instead to enhance and build upon the existing atmosphere, truly resulting in the oft-referenced “wall of sound.”

The three remaining tracks continue in a similar vein: while there are a few exceptions such as the moments the bass and drums get into a slower groove in “When the Dreams and Love End” and the acoustic guitar bits in “Afterlight,” generally the album presents you with relentless torrents of beautifully crushing sound. And really, that’s what it’s all about: relentless and crushing though it may be, the overall feeling here is one of serenity and beauty, sadness giving way to acceptance and peacefulness.

 

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Next up: while it follows an EP and a split and a few singles, In Perfect Stillness is the debut full-length by Domhain, who call Northern Ireland home. This record too is filled to the brim with layers of atmosphere, between gently droning background chords and heavily-distorted blackness, blends of melodic clean singing with harsh growls and howls, all occasionally underpinned by the kind of gloomy cello that lets you know someone is definitely about to die in Game of Thrones.

Sometimes more post-metal than truly black metal, but other times more closely aligned to straight-up shoegaze, Domhain are also unafraid to let bits of doom or even the occasional folk elements creep in for additional atmospheric coloration. And nowhere do these seemingly disparate parts come together quite as complementarily as in the title track, the beauteous and the beastly juxtaposed to glorious effect.

 

 

 

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Before the Years is currently available to stream or download from Bandcamp or various other platforms.
 

 
Find In Perfect Stillness in digital/CD/vinyl formats here for US listeners or here to buy from EU.
 

 

Remaining Warmth: Bandcamp | VKontakte
 
Domhain: Bandcamp
These Hands Melt: webshop | Bandcamp | Youtube