And Now The Owls Are Smiling is an one-man project from England. The fancy name brings memories from post-rock bands that tend to use long sentences but this is not the case here as the band plays black metal.
But, since black metal nowadays has grown multiple different branches I have to put it under the general atmospheric black metal tag with lots of what we call “depressive black metal” elements. The latter becomes clearer because of the lyrics since for one more time (this is their third full length album) the main theme is –as expected- darkness, cold and depression.
Nre is the only member and obviously responsible for all the music instruments but also the vocals. At the beginning, the clear vocals give the wrong impression as I was expecting to hear something different, but then the approach is different and the music rolls in –let’s say- more typical black metal tunes. When I say typical I am referring to something that does not really impress (it even gets kind of boring at some point, mainly because of the vocals) but it has the power to keep you there and describe its sentimental target although we do not get to finally hear those “dirges” that the title implies. But, of course the way that each person expresses his despair is relevant. You must see it (or to be accurate listen to it) as a huge cauldron full of boiling dark liquid and the lid is ready to burst. And The Now The Owls Are Smiling describe that exact moment, the burst that will tear you apart…
