Label: Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions
Release date: October 6th, 2023
Lunar Tombfields’ “An Arrow to the Sun” marks a bold departure from their debut “The Eternal Harvest”, embracing both a shift in musical and thematic direction. Released in 2023, their sophomore effort carries the weight of a chaotic, unpredictable world, reflecting a sense of urgency and defiance that contrasts sharply with the brooding fatalism of its predecessor. The French atmospheric black metal duo, comprised of M. (vocals, guitars, bass) and Äzh (drums, guitars), taps into a new emotional rawness, delivering an album where celestial despair transforms into defiant rebellion and hope. This transformation serves as a perfect reflection of the moment in which the album was birthed.
Where “The Eternal Harvest” was deeply entrenched in cosmic dread, portraying humanity as a passive victim to divine forces, “An Arrow to the Sun” shifts toward the voice of a species that, though battered, refuses to succumb without a fight. The sound is brighter, more immediate, and more epic. It serves as a battle cry against the indifferent gods and unyielding fate. The shorter, more direct tracks reveal a newfound sense of aggression, with M. and Äzh channeling that energy into compositions that feel both urgent and expansive. The raw intensity of the album is enhanced by its clean, polished production by Raphaël Henry and Benoit Roux, who masterfully preserve the atmospheric, almost cinematic quality of the duo’s earlier work while introducing an element of forcefulness.
The opening track “An Elegy to the Fog Dancer” serves as a haunting invocation of cosmic indifference. With its elegiac lyrics, the track evokes a sense of abandonment, capturing the existential dread of a world where the divine walks among us, yet human cries go unanswered. The image of a “lunar tombfield” conjures the idea of an eternal graveyard where time itself has lost its meaning. It is a place frozen in an endless twilight. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, there is a flicker of light in the way the music rises with an undercurrent of defiance, hinting at the possibility of something more than passive resignation.
Then, the album hits its stride with “Solar Charioteer”, a towering, almost mythic composition that carries the theme of rebellion to its apex. Over its nine-minute run, the song is a slow-burn of apocalyptic imagery with “our” collective struggles echoing through the chorus. The gods are “unheeding”, the stars sleep and the Sun, once a symbol of hope and life, becomes an agent of both cleansing and destruction. Here, the “Solar Charioteer” becomes both a hero and a herald of doom, representing the duality of the forces humanity must confront. The lyrical narrative of lost ideals, forsaken heroes and cosmic rebellion gives the track an epic scope, one that’s as haunting as it is empowering.
In contrast, “Représailles” invites listeners into a violent apocalyptic world, where history’s cyclical nature becomes an inescapable burden. The imagery of “chrysanthèmes” and “last embers” sets the stage for an inevitable doomed reckoning. The song’s dark tones are punctuated by a call to arms against the beauty of the past. It asks whether revenge, if it comes at all, will truly alter the course of destruction. It’s a song that lingers in its nihilism, forcing the listener to reckon with the futility of human action against the relentless march of time.
The following track “As Iron Calls, So Pile the Dreams” offers a mournful reflection on the inevitability of history’s brutality. The line “From fathers to sons / The clear sky turns crimson” underscores the generational trauma passed down through cycles of conflict and oppression. It is here that Lunar Tombfields perfectly encapsulate the emotional weight of their work: an exploration of how the past shapes the future and how those who suffer often do so without redemption. The imagery of iron and blood becomes a metaphor for the oppression and violence that define the human condition. These forces are piled high and never forgiven.
As the album progresses, tracks like “The Amber Herd” and “Le chant des tombes” build on the themes of death, memory and the passing of civilizations. In “The Amber Herd”, the fading banners of grief, the “withered pillars” and the echoes of long-forgotten nations reinforce the album’s meditation on mortality and legacy. This track is more personal in its reflection, with lines questioning whether the narrator’s kin will “conquer or fade”, highlighting the fragile nature of human existence in the face of unstoppable forces.
“Le chant des tombes”, the closing track, is a rich, atmospheric conclusion that intertwines reverence and doom. The imagery of “figures descending from above, holding swords” evokes ancient rituals and divine judgment. The song explores how history, especially violent and sacrificial history, is both revered and cursed. The final lines of the song, with their haunting reference to the “moon groaning” and the “sun thundering”, leave the listener with a lingering sense of unease, as if nature itself is calling out in response to the human capacity for destruction and the indifference of the gods.
Overall, “An Arrow to the Sun” represents a profound transformation for Lunar Tombfields. It retains the atmospheric richness of their earlier work but channels that energy into something more direct, more visceral and ultimately more hopeful. This is a band that is no longer content to merely accept fate. They are ready to challenge it, even if the result is cosmic destruction. The album is a compelling narrative of defiance and while its themes remain heavy and contemplative, there is a palpable sense of urgency and power in its execution. It’s a remarkable progression in Lunar Tombfields’ journey, one that invites listeners to confront the grand existential struggles of the human condition and the ever-present fight against overwhelming odds.
