RÄUM is a Belgian raw / Post Black Metal band founded in 2020. “Emperor Of The Sun” is their second full length on Les Acteurs De L’Ombre Productions. RÄUM have an interesting sound, the vocals are just screeches that invoke death, whilst the music swings between traditional raw Black Metal to beautiful Post Metal. I would’ve honestly loved some variety in the vocals, but I can see why the band chose to go with such traditional vocals. Track # 3, ‘Grounds Of Desolation’, is a beautiful atmospheric melodic piece that has to be experienced live. The album opens with ‘Eclipse Of The Empyreal Dawn’ and the first 20 seconds are just aural disturbances that take you by surprise. As we delve deeper into RÄUM’s music, we realize their songwriting is multi-faceted, to be able to supplement a wide variety of sonic scapes that complement the harsh vocals is not an easy feat. Much of the aggression is vocal driven but the band relies equally on a delicate, excellent sense of mysticism that manages to weave itself very effectively into their sound. Every track has a unique identity on the album, but it doesn’t give you a sense of something completely new which is honestly fine. RÄUM sounds honest, with an undeniable sense of vision that seeps through their sound every passing second. Fans of raw Black Metal will rejoice, however, fans of modern Metal should also lend their ear to this album to experience how juxtaposing the traditional and modern sense of songwriting can be achieved. Make no mistake, RÄUM makes it feel easy from a distance but the multi-layer sound is quite complex. I quite enjoyed this release, for more information please visit www.facebook.com/raum.belgium or www.facebook.com/ladloproductions