Lustre
A Thirst for Summer Rain

I wrote about Lustre’s previous album The Ashes of Light a few years ago, and I wasn’t very impressed with what I got to hear. The cover art was good, but the music didn’t have much depth or feel of excitement. This new album called A Thirst for Summer Rain has an even better artwork, and this time the one-man-band has recorded the album in a professional studio, that usually helps with the soundscapes. And soundscapes are what the music of Lustre is all about, so let’s see if this album is more exciting than the previous one.

The starting tones sets a tone that makes me interested, it gives a feeling of blue skies and a light rain. Pair that with the black metal that is kind of an illustration of the atmosphere in the world today, civilisations today can have everything they need but instead just destroy and make war for no reason. I don’t know if that is what Lustre illustrates, but in a way it feels like it, this beautiful nature and world somewhat broken up by grunty and growly black metal tones, for Lustre it is the beauty and hope that wins eventually, I wonder if it will be the same for our planet where the black is overpowering the beauty.

I would say that this is a great step forwards compared with what I reviewed a couple of years ago, the dynamics are better, the songs are better, the atmosphere is better. It is a rather uplifting album, a positive and hopeful atmosphere. I find that to be a very good thing as it is placed in a genre that is usually all about gloom and doom, it is mostly both dull and depressing to listen to black metal, but there are some spectacular exceptions, and this new album by Lustre is certainly one of those exceptions.

I think this one is well worth checking out, it offers great songs, great atmospheres, and who doesn’t need a reminder of summer when winter is knocking on the door and the light is receding? So, I recommend checking out this latest offering by Lustgre, it is not only a good step forward for the artist, but a great and enjoyable album to listen to.

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