Review by Alex Grindor on August 26, 2024.

When one hears the term "Atmospheric Black Metal" one immediately associates it with a grand forest bathed in the moonlight, or even a peaceful night in utter silence contemplating the stars. The last place one would even consider for a band of such style to exist is in a city in the midst of a desert. Well, that is where Pillars Of Mountains come into. Born in 2016 in Atacama, Chile, it is a project spearheaded by Ricardo Mauricio, under the alias "Winter Black". Unlike the vast majority of bands from said region, Ricardo chose to go in the opposite direction of its peers; a more contemplative musical exercise, inspired by the majesty of the stars and the geography of the Atacama region, mixed with the oniric experience of dreams. While the project initially seemed to veer a bit more into Amon Amarth territory with its initial demos, in 2018 they released Distance, their debut EP.

Beginning with a melancholic intro that slowly builds up and eventually gives way to a majestic sound that evokes somnolency and introspection, while not losing any heaviness in the process. The songs have around 5-6 minutes each, with well-crafted segments and changes that ensnare the listener in its dream-inspired compositions, detailing lucid dream voyages, the majesty of the Sun and the winter sky. Ricardo handles all instrumentation and it is amazing what he was capable of at just 19 years old (at the time of the release). He knew exactly what he wanted to achieve and the end result did not disappoint, although the music leans more towards doom metal than atmospheric black at times. However, Ricardo is not a singer, so he set out to find someone who would fit his project; enter Bryan Svank.

Bryan delivers a strong vocal performance that fits right through the music. His competent growls are neither too dry nor too deep, and you can make out what he sings with barely any trouble. The only major issue I have with the vocals is the way the lyrics are pronounced. Now, of course, English is not their native language and Ricardo knows this, but the lyrics are not well written and this problem translates to the vocal performance. It would seem that neither of them proofread the lyrics or knew someone who could, but this is a minor issue.

Production-wise, everything is crystal clear. The guitars are soaked in reverb but still pack a punch. The bass has presence and weight and the drums are well executed. No instrument overshadows the other. Some sections do repeat constantly, but such is the nature of this style. The only problem I have would be with the vocal placement. As I stated before, it's not bad, but at times it feels more like the songs were composed without vocals in mind like they were an afterthought. Many of the tracks condense the vocal performance to very brief sections, leaving the rest of the instrumentation on its own, which feels somewhat weird at moments.

Despite these minute details, Distance is an excellent EP by a then-young man who shows a lot of promise in this music style, paired with a competent vocalist who gets the job done. The EP is barely over 20 minutes, so it doesn't overstay its welcome, but it will leave you wanting for more. More so, if you would rather listen to the music without the vocals, there is an instrumental version of the EP available as well. If you enjoy this particular subgenre of metal, give Pillars Of Mountains a chance.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10