Waiting to hear news from Aeonian Sorrow, we find Gogo Melone again with this other project called Elysia, a duo that also features the Swiss musician Jani Berney. Numinous, however, has little to do with the mournful atmospheres of the melodic doom of the mother band, as the sound on offer here is an atmospheric black metal, often with rather accelerated rhythms, in which the Hellenic vocalist displays another aspect of her versatility, proposing a rather convincing growl and allowing only a few moments in which it is possible to hear her peculiar clean timbre. Berney’s instrumental work is relentless and enhances five truly intense tracks, with only Onism and And Thou Shall Rule reminiscent of Gogo’s doom background, while Into Malevolent Transcendence, Veiled Fears and the splendid closing title track exemplify what happens when the perfect balance between extreme and melodic components is achieved in black metal. Numinous clocks in at just under half an hour, the ideal length to enjoy an enthralling and convincing work from the first to the last minute, yet another demonstration of how it comes naturally to talented musicians to express themselves at a high level even in sub-genres that are less familiar to them.

2022 – Independent