Arcane Frost – Night’s Cavalry (Review)

Oh lord have I been waiting for this moment. It’s interesting how especially those bands I listened to when I started with Transcended Music Blog in 2019 were burnt into my long-term memory. This year also happened to partake the release of Black Metal combo Arcane Frost’s second EP Dragged Into The Void. Having been made aware of this band (as usual) by Nino, I drastically fell for their raw tone and also the fact that this band emerged from the surroundings of Lycanthropic Chants, a label I still highly favor. After that, years passed and I also talked with vocalist Dennis about the possible release of an Arcane Frost full-length, yet it always sounded like something everyone was interested in but it was terribly hard to grasp. However, at the end of 2025, times changed and we were finally hit with the first announcement of the release of Arcane Frost’s full-length debut – Night’s Cavalry! What a blessing!

Arcane Frost is a Black Metal combo hailing from Wolfsburg that surfaced with the release of their first EP Cosmic Winter via underground tape label Low Fidelity Assaults. With their debut release, Arcane Frost showcased raw Black Metal in strong reminiscence of the early 2nd Wave, building heavily on iteration and mesmerizing, atmospheric sounds. With their aforementioned follow-up Dragged Into The Void in 2019, the sound of the band evolved, broadcasting a slightly more refined tone with further progress regarding the songwriting. From that point on, I’d be bold enough to say that a larger share especially from the local scene was eagerly waiting for another follow-up – hoping this was gonna be their full-length debut. 

On the 3rd of January, Arcane Frost’s full-length debut Night’s Cavalry then was dropped via Bleeding Heart Nihilist Productions. With the pre-released single “Swarming Rats” alone, it only needed a few seconds into the track to find out that pretty much everything this band does found an immense polish. When entering the album with “Eldritch Bulwark,” it only needs a brief moment to prove this point. Going by the overall tone that is conveyed alone, Arcane Frost’s sound progressed massively. The entire album can probably be divided into two (or three) segments. The first three tracks rather roam about in the spheres that listeners might have been expecting when going by the previous releases of the band. However, the mid-field of this album then takes a turn towards a different direction of Black Metal, leaning towards the framework of Suicidal Depressive Black Metal while still upholding the overarching tone of the album. Towards the end of the album, we return to the sound that introduced us to the album.

This, however, is just a categorization on a macro-level that does not state anything in further detail about the finesse of these tracks. The first track “Eldritch Bulwark” is pure energy. This is an aspect that also convinced me quickly when listening to the entire album – the musical energy that is brought across is pure force. Jumping back and forth between highly memorable tremolo melody lines and crushing riffs, the listener is run down right from the beginning. In order to not get lost in a blur with this massive impact, the sound is often brought to a halt for shorter doomy sequences, only to bolt back in when returning to the melody. This does however not occur according to a recurring pattern. Especially the structuring of the songs makes sure that the listeners won’t lose interest. The comparably shorter length of the tracks (approximately 5 minutes) then serves as a major factor to emphasize the ties towards Punk that Arcane Frost also communicates politically. At some instances, it is also possible to hear some tendencies of the drums merging with clearer Punk patterns.

On the third track “Passing The Lynchgate,” we initially get the impression that the sound that was present on the first two tracks will continue throughout the entire album. However, towards the second half of this track, slower passages appear that are also carried by a riffing that moves towards the framework of Depressive Suicidal Black Metal. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not fully diving into this genre, there is no U-turn. First of all, this progression is introduced organically on the aforementioned track, which also smoothes the transition towards “Gallows” – which is in my opinion a standout track on this album. I think many long-term fans of Arcane Frost expected this album to turn out just as the first three tracks. What came as a surprise, though, was the turn this album takes then. This also perfectly showcased the amount of progression this band went through while working on this album for six years. Right out of nowhere, we bring this sledgehammer of a release to a halt and come back with guitar melodies that will get stuck in your head for weeks. This simple yet haunting riff that carries “Gallows” is just amazing. Here and there, we also get the clear allusion that this tie towards DSBM is not by accident when the vocals also occasionally switch into shrieking. This spirit is then also continued on the following track “A Glacier Soaked in Blood” that also follows the aforementioned pattern, yet this is another slight aspect that sheds some light on the Punk origins of this band when the recurring shout of “A Glacier Soaked in Blood” literally invites you to shout along with Arcane Frost (and of course the “no hope, no future on “Withering Decay – man, I like this stuff).

After this descent into the spheres of depressing soundscapes, the album finishes off by returning to the strong energy that introduced the listener during the first few tracks. Heating up when diving in, then breaking the listeners on devastating sonical spheres and then turning back towards driving force. Seems to be a formula that works quite well.

Since especially the raw tone of this band was a factor that also marked their key-phrase of “haunting black metal,” it was extraordinarily interesting to find out where Arcane Frost were going to record their full-length debut. Choosing Goblin Sound Studio was a pretty damn good decision. If there is one person that is capable of capturing this tone, it certainly is Andy Rosczyk. Especially the positioning of the drums in the mix during the mid-part of this album is something that is simply spot-on. While the descent towards DSBM takes place, there still are blast beat sequences. However, when compared to the compelling energy on the initial tracks, these sequences do not urge the same rush and underline the staggering force of these tracks. Minor elements that might be missed but if those are not taken into account, they might alter the impact of entire tracks. In order to deliver the full package, the cover artwork was done by Drowned Orange who probably is also a name to some that take closer looks at album artworks. This round package is then delivered by underground Black Metal (and beyond) label Bleeding Heart Nihilist Productions on limited 12” black vinyl, which is just the perfect home for Arcane Frost.

Let’s be honest, this album delivers amazing tracks from front to back. I relistened this album countless times and every time I came back, I fell in love again. Looking back at the first four months, this year has already delivered numerous surprises and amazing releases and Night’s Cavalry certainly needs a mention.

Roman Transcended

From: Gladbeck (Germany)
Favorite Artists: Lifetaker – Downfall of Gaia – Tomb Mold
Best Show: Gone to Waste Final Show@Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen (2017)
Projects: Cultkill Music, Lower Rhine Underground, Gutter Rat Promotion, Slumcult Gathering