Austrian musician Erech Leleth has constructed quite an empire in a relatively short amount of time. The prolific musician builds interconnected worlds with his many projects, the likes of Ancient Mastery, Bergfried, Summer Haze ’99, Carathis, Grandeur and more. All operating somewhere between black and heavy metal, Erech Leleth’s guitar heroics and catchy songwriting are hallmarks of a central style that guides his various outlets. With Narzissus, Erech Leleth ventures into a more progressive metal-oriented sphere, fusing black metal’s ferocity with complex progressions and structures, plus ventures into other and more adventurous styles like Romani jazz. On Akt III: Erlösung, Narzissus’ first proper full-length (following two Akt EPs), Erech Leleth takes the idea of “progressive black metal” and highlights not only black metal’s traditional metal roots, but also presents it in such a way that the project’s more progressive elements feel most natural. This musician’s creativity is boundless, and Narzissus, alongside his other works, show Erech Leleth to be one of metal’s most compelling current songwriters. Listen to Akt III: Erlösung in full ahead of its January 19 release below.
Akt III: Erlösung releases January 19 via Shape of Storms Records alongside a compilation of the previous two Akt EPs.