Country: Germany
Genre: Avant‑Garde Black Metal / Dissonant Black Metal (mixed vocals, mainly harsh)
Release: May 15, 2026
For fans of: Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Emperor
The Golden Citadel of the Astral Sphere is a debut that plants itself firmly in the darkest and most unpleasant corner of avant‑garde black metal. Junon choose an approach full of distortion, microtonality and a suffocating atmosphere, reminiscent of bands like Blut Aus Nord and Jute Gyte. They don’t try to “rediscover” the genre from scratch, but to create a sense of delirium — and to a large extent they succeed.
The first two tracks move in more traditional second-generation black metal, but with guitars that slip into microtonal patterns and drums that give a more “off-kilter” feel. The record’s strongest element is the frontwoman’s clean voice: cold, ritualistic, almost haunting. It appears less than it should, though, since her harsh lines — although correct — don’t have the same personality. When the clean vocals come in, as on “Propheten der Blauen Flamme”, the record changes level.
The production combines rawness and clarity in a way that suits the style. The bass is heard clearly, the guitars have that dry, “parched” tone that makes dissonance hit you in the stomach, and the more psychedelic builds give breathing room without ruining the coherence. Every instrument has space, but it’s the guitars that drive the chaos.
The record’s big gamble is the 21-minute “Dolorosa”. Here Junon leave behind every “safety net” and dive into slow, open chords, sparse percussion and vocals that feel like an exorcism. The track is demanding, perhaps excessively long, but the climax at the 18-minute mark — where dissonance gives way to a clean, almost redemptive melody — is truly impressive. There, for the first time, the clean vocals hover above the black metal and deliver a peak that deserved to come earlier.
The Golden Citadel of the Astral Sphere has many good ideas, but it doesn’t make the most of all of them as it could. Junon have personality, have a voice, have atmosphere — they just need more boldness in the clean lines and a tighter structure in the long tracks. Still, their debut shows they can escape the narrow confines of dissoblack and build something truly their own in the future.
