The is the debut EP for this new solo-project from Poland, creature of the mastermind D.A Khthõn. His music leads us through territories of desolation and tormented souls, he does it with a skilled use of malignant riffs and dissonant melodies, generating an occult and dark atmosphere. The production, done by D.A Khthõn himself, is appropriate for what I think about Black Metal nowadays, neither too rough, nor too clear, so all the instruments and vocals are well mixed and balanced. The only guest member on this EP is the clean, theatrical voice of Hekte Zaren, who contributes to the general sound as additional effect just when it’s invoked, without turning it into Gothic Metal or shit like that. The songwriting is not masterful, there is lot of room for improvement, but songs like the title-track or the following ‘Of Thousand Suns’, with a great BATHORY riff at the beginning, are really good to my ears. Being just a debut, I’m very curious about what D.A Khthõn will make in the future; "Through Lunar Gateways" is surely a good first step, influenced by both traditional and modern Black Metal, luckily unrelated with any trendy approach. Take your time to check ARS MAGNA UMBRAE at www.facebook.com/arsmagnaumbrae and visit www.hellthrasher.com to purchase the CD.