Review by Dominik on July 24, 2025.

Aara always reminded me of those people who used to add a couple of A's to their name just to appear first in the Yellow Pages. It's a name that feels slightly off, slightly intentional, and maybe just a little smug. Whatever the case, it worked, as they've earned themselves a front-row seat in my collection (which, of course, is catalogued alphabetically). Now, I don't know what "Aara" is supposed to mean. Depending on which corner of the internet you consult, etymological explanations tell you that it either stems from some aboriginal language or from Sanskrit. If the latter is true, it could mean "peaceful" or "calm". Which is either a deeply ironic joke for a black metal band or a case of completely missing the plot. Then again, maybe that contradiction is intentional and part of the charm. Or maybe I'm just overthinking things while staring at the wall. Probably that.

Aara appeared in 2019 more or less out of nowhere. "So Fallen Alle Tempel" ("All Temples Fall"), their debut, landed hard and stuck. It had that rare combination of intensity, atmosphere, and melodic clarity. Ever since then I've watched their trajectory like a concerned uncle, though each release that followed left me slightly underwhelmed. Not disappointed, just... unconvinced. Later works felt like they were trying too hard to outdo themselves. It was either too much layering, too much grandeur or not enough grounding. There was always something that kept me from fully getting into it, be it the sound or the sense of the band disappearing up its own mountain of ambition.

Then they dropped "Eiger". The cover alone made me sit up. A black-and-white photo, a mountain swallowed in snow — bleak, cold, and completely devoid of any modern gloss. It screamed man versus mountain, flesh versus frost, and all the beautiful futility in between. That's my kind of aesthetic. There's something about staring at a monochrome peak that brings out the romantic nihilist in me. Still, one swallow doesn't make a summer, and one good cover does not make a good album. The question is: will this one finally live up to its looks?

The short answer is "yes it does". The production on "Eiger" is the best the band has delivered so far. There is a nice balance between all instruments, nothing sticks out or is overproduced. There is no instruments fighting for dominance, no overblown effects, no amateurish mix that drowns the guitars in a fog of reverb. The sound is clear, full, and sharp. Thematically it is a compelling performance as well. The Eiger is a mountain in the Swiss part of the Alps. It is known for its challenging "Nordwand" ("North Face"), fittingly called the "Mordwand" ("Murderous Wall"). While the summit was first reached in 1858 via the West Flank, the North Face remained a formidable dare for decades. It became the site of numerous tragedies and thus earning its ominous nickname. The result: broken climbers, dead bodies and legends written in snow and frozen fingers. If that isn't the perfect prerequisite for a black metal album, then I don't know what it is.

Musically, this is Aara doing what they do best. The band weaves guitar lines into melodic spiderwebs of despair, sorrow and stubborn stoicism, held together by relentless drumming and that strangely regal atmosphere they always carry. There's a sense of vastness, of cold air and high altitude, running through every track, with the vocals echoing like desperate shouts against a cliff face. You can practically feel the wind cutting your face. What is absolutely fitting to what the lyrics try to convey: the fight of courageous men against a mountain that for years defied all efforts to be conquered.

"Felsensang" ("Song of the Rocks") is the first real standout. We find these urgent, near hypnotic, melodic guitar lines, a sense of rising panic, all supported by merciless blasts, but also a refreshing true metal riffing at times. That the band uses keys does not diminish the impact in the slightest. The spare use just underlines the song parts which demand a special accentuation rather than drowning the song in symphonic soup. And then there's the frontwoman Fluss. She might not be everyone's favorite vocalist, but her performance fits the material. Her shrieks aren't polished, and that's a good thing. They sound like something between a possessed banshee and someone actually freezing to death on a cliff. Very appropriate.

With "Der Wahnsinn Dort Im Abgrund" ("The Madness there in the Abyss") the album hits its strongest and cruelest stretch. It's the shortest, leanest and most immediate track. The melodies are razor-sharp, and the pacing is on point. You get a clear sense of isolation — the band masterfully translates the solitude of the mountaineer, hanging by a silken thread and a cold metal hook over a yawning abyss, into a fitting musical cloth. "Zurück Zur Roten Fluh" ("Back to the red Rock Face") demands more from the listener. The song shifts rapidly — blasting, then brooding, then blasting again. The guitars never let up, and that constant motion captures the tension of a failed climb perfectly. It's like an auditory rock face, which is treacherous, unpredictable, and worth every scraped nerve. "Eiger" is deeply tied to its lyrics, which may prove challenging for non-German speakers. But those willing to pick up an ice axe and dig into the meaning will find a layered, tragic, and remarkably human tale beneath the ice, which describes the failed attempt to conquer the mountain, forcing a retreat.

"Grausig Ist Der Blick" ("Gruesome is the Sight") continues this descent — musically and thematically. Here the mountaineers are facing hopelessness, snowstorms, and the final realization that they're not going to make it. The music turns from aggression to sadness, then back again, but not without a hint of grim beauty. The album doesn't end with heroism. The final track, "Alptraum" (Nightmare"), offers no resolution. There's no triumph here, no conquering the peak. It ends with the last man standing, waking up in this nightmare, knowing he's the only one left — and fading away quietly as the silence settles forever. The mountain wins. Of course it does.

This album is best experienced as a whole. The lyrics and music are working together to build the narrative. Here black metal is used as a medium for storytelling, not just soundtracking someone's vague misanthropy. It's a story of courage, failure, and the complete indifference of nature. It's the best Aara has sounded since their debut, and arguably their most cohesive work to date. Emotional without melodramatic and ambitious without collapsing under itself. Finally, an album that doesn't just scale the North Face but carves its name into it.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10, because climbing a mountain should hurt, and so should listening to it, at least just a little. On this album failure sounds noble and success would have ruined the mood anyway.