Review by Michael on November 22, 2021.

Untamed Land was a quite unknown band to me until they switched to the bigger German label Napalm Records. Behind that band name stands a one-man-project based in Ohio and before the latest output Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Form they released one full-length in 2018 called Between The Winds.

It is quite difficult to describe the music that Patrick Kern performs with Untamed Land. It is a mixture of a lot of different influences like black metal, ambient, folk and western music but it is arranged so well that it doesn't appear to be confusing or mismatching. The albums have a lot of breaks and turns that always keep the listener attracted to it and I think that you can't get bored with this stuff.

Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Form starts with a somewhat Harry Potter like intro that soon turns into a very atmospheric instrumental track with nice acoustic guitars. It appears to be a very nice invitation to explore the wilderness of the Wild West. The first real track is initiated by a harsh black metal riff but soon is framed by some western-like keyboards and guitar riffs we are used to know from Summoning. Also, the vocals remind of older Summoning releases. It seems that Frodo and his companions stumbled into a saloon called “The Prancing Pony Inn” and get some bourbon instead of beer. The western reminiscences can be found quite often in all tracks, okay no surprise if you know that Patrick likes the western topic and music. 'Clothed In Smoke' is a very doomy and atmospheric song with a lot of keyboard intermezzos, western style riffs and galloping drums that matches perfect to the western atmosphere. The longest track, 'The Heavenly Coil', is the most gripping track on the album. Here we can find some real dramatic and epic arrangements, almost like on a movie soundtrack which are combined with fast black metal elements. Sometimes the keyboards remind me of old Emperor just to be interrupted with some ambient music and some western music then (and of course the always present Summoning). The close of the track is really great, very atmospheric and rousing. You really can grip the atmosphere of the Wild West (though it never really was my cup of bourbon). So, this is a really wild trip through music styles that the listener is taken here.

To draw a conclusion about all this…I really like this album because it is so varied and never gets lost the black metal vibes that are the major agenda behind all this. But what makes it so special and interesting in my ears is the fact that Untamed Land combines so many (unusual) styles together with the black metal idea. This makes it a very diverting album that you don't get tired of after some rounds of listening. But if you don't like any experiments in your black metal soup, you better don't touch it.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10 baked beans