Put corpse paint on Clint Eastwood and you have Untamed Land. If you’re looking for something unique in the metal realm; then this one man band from Akron, OH will scratch that itch. Part pagan black metal and old Western style music, Untamed Land sprinkle in some Summoner and Moonsorrow and out comes this beast in the act’s second album – and first with Napalm – Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms. It’s easy to see why a big label like Napalm was intrigued by the prospect of Untamed Land.

But this isn’t easy listening – the bulk of the tracks are near or over 10 minutes in length and take a cinematic approach that is distinguished by the robust instrumental opener “Once Upon A Time In The Kenoma”. It transports the listener to The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly and makes one feel like The Man With No Name. There’s a sense of adventure and heroism with the cinematic-like opener which then gives way to raw guitars and militant drumming in the 14 minute “A Nameless Shape”. Vocals remind of Moonsorrow and Dissection and musically Untamed Land plays with atmosphere and building up a multitude of emotions. Pure blackened metal gives way to western instrumental passages and mainman Patrick Kern finds a way to make the transitions smooth and not clunky.

The first listen is overwhelming – this will take a few spins to digest. “Clothed In Smoke” is draped with organs and accented by and military drum patterns combined with the blackness of the screeching guitars and vocals. The latter part of the track feels like a building up to a climax of a movie with the suspenseful acoustics, piano, banjo, and violin work. Yes – all those instruments indeed make their way into this song and it works brilliantly. The 15 monster “The Heavenly Coil” goes through a ladder of harpsichords, choral vocals, progressive black metal, bells and organs with instrumental buildups to, memorable hooks to keep the listener coming back for more. It is impressive how Kern managed to make these tracks flow seamlessly. Spanish guitar greets closer “Achamōth” as the credits roll in the background.

This is extremely niche material and certainly a passion project, but one worth investing time in. For something different, give Untamed Land a try!