#imperialist — Public Fediverse posts

@CakesOfPan

Libraries hold a special place in my heart, for reasons both intellectual and sentimental.

Librarians are guardians of knowledge, champions of freedom, and friends of the people. They are community members, dedicated to helping connect poor people with relevant information, so they can improve their minds, educate themselves, and access job resources.

After I became a #whistleblower in 2023, and was made #homeless , this notion was challenged.

Librarians would block my access, call the police, and have me arrested. If you find this hard to believe, please see my whistleblower website. The PDF linked, has an appendix giving the “receipts” ( documents to corroborate my account ).

http://whistleblower.lovestoblog.com/

I had applied to be a board member of the libraries in Hawai’i after attending their meetings, and saw some corruption there.

Scroll to the bottom of this page, and see the photo of the board members. How many native Hawai’ian faces do you see? Any Japanese or brown folks?

https://folkhawaii.com/about-us/

Their former Director of Membership, Bobby Gebbia, lied in court, before the judge and cameras, saying I was a board member, though I was not granted a membership.

In Hawai’i, librarians appear to be part of the occupying forces, whitewashing colonialism, insidiously taking over and erasing the true history of Hawai’i, which I heard from talking to local old timers.

250 years ago, Hawai’i had not heard of Jesus, and had its own deities, ( Goddess Pele, the creator, Kaneloa, etc. )
Then Captain James Cook invaded, and 90% of the natives were wiped out.

Then Samson Dole attacked with soldiers, threw out the natives, turned their land into plantations, and turned the natives into day laborers on the plantation, on their own land.

Contrary to popular belief, Hawai’i is not a part of the USA, but a belligerently occupied territory,

1887-1897: Hawaiʻi Rebelled against the USA.

Hawaiʻian people did not choose to be part of the USA.
King David Kalākaua was forced to sign what is called the "Bayonet Constitution". Queen Liliuokalani asserted that Kalākaua's life was threatened: "He signed that constitution under absolute compulsion."

https://youtu.be/j8DxdibHibU

Now Hawai’i is full of churches, their own gods are vanishing from memory, thanks to the “librarians”. There’s poverty, a drug epidemic, and seething discontent on the streets. Hawai’ian people are heavily overpoliced, thrown into jail without cause, and denied #justice in the #courts of the occupiers ( #USA ).

All this is hidden from the casual tourist, content to visit a golf course on the sacred land, that has been bulldozed, and be served drinks by little brown people ( usually from the Marshall Islands, Hawai’i locals have mostly left for minimum wage jobs in mainland America ).

Billionaires, like Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Jeff Bezos, and Oprah Winfrey, “own” huge chunks of the land.

Chinese billionaire, Eva Liu, has controlled the Punalu’u Black Sand beach, with a sweetheart deal ( $1 ), and is proposing erasing this natural landmark, spawning site of the endangered Saddleback Turtles, and building resorts there, in the name of “development”.

In 2022, the Hawai’ian people had a setback in court.
( Hawaiian Kingdom v. #Biden ; December 14, 2022 )

Librarians have been instrumental, in manipulating minds, and pushing through these insidious #imperialist agendas, and disenfranchising and displacing the local people.

#Earth #environment
#library #libraries #librarian #librarians #liberty #hawaii
#bigisland #imperialism #colonialism #capitalism
#rebel #rebellion #revolution #HumanRights #Equalrights

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/11/uk-forced-to-shelve-legislation-to-return-chagos-islands-to-mauritius. #Trump gives & Trump takes away; cursed be the name of Trump! What does he care about the #independence & #sovereignty of #Mauritius? The man is an #imperialist. He doesn't care about the inhabitants of the #ChagosIslands, or their #opinions - all he cares about is #US control over #DiegoGarcia. Keir #Starmer is PATHETIC!

... General strike which is going to take place on 28-29 November 2025 under the slogan: “Say NO to the Meloni government's budget law – stand with ...

WFTU Solidarity Statement with the Strike in Italy 25 Nov 2025by central wftu The World Federation of Trade Unions, the militant voice of more that 105 million workers who live, work and struggle in 134 countries of the 5 continents, expresses its u…#wftu #solidarity #statement #strike #italy #nov #central #world #federation #trade #unions #militant #voice #million #workers #live #work #struggle #countries #continents #expresses #undivided #working #class #general #going #take #place #- #november #slogan #say #meloni #government #s #budget #law #stand #palestinian #people #stop #genocide #conscious #dignified #reaction #popular #strata #war #economy #preparations #reduce #resources #health #education #services #increase #precariousness #undermining #interests #pensioners #students #unemployed #international #class-oriented #union #movement #struggles #peace #immediate #end #wars #imperialist #intervention #affiliates #globe #fight #society #wealth #producers #will #allocated #produce #labor #toil #join #worker #just #demands #wage #permanent #stable #living #conditions #--- #dear #comrades #unione #sindacale #base #usb #salute #including #palestine #call #national #also #deeply #appreciate #long-lasting #unwavering #facing #resisting #israel #ongoing #years #settler-colonialism #apartheid #strikes #shed #bright #light #shameful #complicity #italian #corporations #enabling #illegal #occupation #palestinians #shown #power #inspired #many #across #dockworkers #called #september #october #recent #announced #well #disruptive #actions #preventing #stopping #military #cargo #ports #directed #genocidal #can #play #key #role #escalating #peacefully #disrupting #crimes #civil #large #response #meaningful #global #weekend #action #bds #welcomed #news #ceasefire #agreement #reached #however #continues #killing #starving #maiming #albeit #different #form #even #real #important #first #step #livestreamed #illegally #occupied #besieged #gaza #strip #without #massive #pressure #combined #trump-netanyahu #plan #constitutes #continuation #less #visible #us #hope #provoke #regional #outrage #boycotts #sanctions #repercussions #planned #annihilation #denial #refugees #rights #yet #won #needed #ever #begins #ending #serious #accountability #moral #legal #obligations #see #know #tide #turned #must #back #precisely #brought #wave #targeted #spain #t #rkyie #malaysia #colombia #slovenia #antigua #barbuda #governments #globally #isolated #internationally-wanted #prime #minister #recently #admitted #understood #desperate #attempt #relieve #isolation #save #-year-old #regime #settler-colonial #oppression #reasons #professional #urgently #renew #around #escalate #effort #colonial #calls #movements #put #center #adopt #highest #priority #mobilisations #express #liberation #self-determination #return #reparations #uphold #following #icj #rulings #starting #imposing #comprehensive #embargo #halting #sale #purchase #transfer #transit #parts #dual-use #items #ensuring #user #compliance #eni #halt #oil #petrol #launch #broad #intersectional #campaigns #compel #institutions #city #councils #universities #hospitals #etc #ethical #procurement #investment #policies #applicable #exclude #companies #knowingly #persistently #involved #grave #human #violations #particularly #humanity #forces #broader #economic #academic #cultural #sports #mahmoud #nawajaa #coordinator #committee #bnc #tras #el #anuncio #sindicato #syndicale #de #convocatoria #huelga #horas #para #pr #ximo #d #noviembre #frente #sindical #obrero #canarias #saluda #clase #obrera #italiana #sus #organizaciones #y #especialmente #organizaci #n #hermana #camaradas #fieles #nuestros #principios #manifestamos #todo #nuestro #apoyo #lucha #anticapitalista #apoyamos #esta #las #movilizaciones #que #dar #lugar #abrazo #fraternal #los #piquetes #autentica #vanguardia #saludo #asambleas #comit #muy #especial #juventud #trabajadora #convocada #abre #camino #toda #en #contra #presupuestos #guerra #militarizaci #econom #diferentes #pa #ses #sin #reservas #reivindicaci #inmediata #ruptura #concreci #palestina #libre #desde #rio #hasta #mar #les #deseamos #todas #suertes #fuerzas #todos #xitos #alguna #forma #sentimos #tambi #nuestra #viva #secretario #pol #tico #daniel #casal
Messaggi di solidarietà internazionale ad USB per lo sciopero generale del 28 novembre

... General strike which is going to take place on 28-29 November 2025 under the slogan: “Say NO to the Meloni government's budget law – stand with ...

WFTU Solidarity Statement with the Strike in Italy 25 Nov 2025by central wftu The World Federation of Trade Unions, the militant voice of more that 105 million workers who live, work and struggle in 134 countries of the 5 continents, expresses its u…#wftu #solidarity #statement #strike #italy #nov #central #world #federation #trade #unions #militant #voice #million #workers #live #work #struggle #countries #continents #expresses #undivided #working #class #general #going #take #place #- #november #slogan #say #meloni #government #s #budget #law #stand #palestinian #people #stop #genocide #conscious #dignified #reaction #popular #strata #war #economy #preparations #reduce #resources #health #education #services #increase #precariousness #undermining #interests #pensioners #students #unemployed #international #class-oriented #union #movement #struggles #peace #immediate #end #wars #imperialist #intervention #affiliates #globe #fight #society #wealth #producers #will #allocated #produce #labor #toil #join #worker #just #demands #wage #permanent #stable #living #conditions #--- #dear #comrades #unione #sindacale #base #usb #salute #including #palestine #call #national #also #deeply #appreciate #long-lasting #unwavering #facing #resisting #israel #ongoing #years #settler-colonialism #apartheid #strikes #shed #bright #light #shameful #complicity #italian #corporations #enabling #illegal #occupation #palestinians #shown #power #inspired #many #across #dockworkers #called #september #october #recent #announced #well #disruptive #actions #preventing #stopping #military #cargo #ports #directed #genocidal #can #play #key #role #escalating #peacefully #disrupting #crimes #civil #large #response #meaningful #global #weekend #action #bds #welcomed #news #ceasefire #agreement #reached #however #continues #killing #starving #maiming #albeit #different #form #even #real #important #first #step #livestreamed #illegally #occupied #besieged #gaza #strip #without #massive #pressure #combined #trump-netanyahu #plan #constitutes #continuation #less #visible #us #hope #provoke #regional #outrage #boycotts #sanctions #repercussions #planned #annihilation #denial #refugees #rights #yet #won #needed #ever #begins #ending #serious #accountability #moral #legal #obligations #see #know #tide #turned #must #back #precisely #brought #wave #targeted #spain #t #rkyie #malaysia #colombia #slovenia #antigua #barbuda #governments #globally #isolated #internationally-wanted #prime #minister #recently #admitted #understood #desperate #attempt #relieve #isolation #save #-year-old #regime #settler-colonial #oppression #reasons #professional #urgently #renew #around #escalate #effort #colonial #calls #movements #put #center #adopt #highest #priority #mobilisations #express #liberation #self-determination #return #reparations #uphold #following #icj #rulings #starting #imposing #comprehensive #embargo #halting #sale #purchase #transfer #transit #parts #dual-use #items #ensuring #user #compliance #eni #halt #oil #petrol #launch #broad #intersectional #campaigns #compel #institutions #city #councils #universities #hospitals #etc #ethical #procurement #investment #policies #applicable #exclude #companies #knowingly #persistently #involved #grave #human #violations #particularly #humanity #forces #broader #economic #academic #cultural #sports #mahmoud #nawajaa #coordinator #committee #bnc #tras #el #anuncio #sindicato #syndicale #de #convocatoria #huelga #horas #para #pr #ximo #d #noviembre #frente #sindical #obrero #canarias #saluda #clase #obrera #italiana #sus #organizaciones #y #especialmente #organizaci #n #hermana #camaradas #fieles #nuestros #principios #manifestamos #todo #nuestro #apoyo #lucha #anticapitalista #apoyamos #esta #las #movilizaciones #que #dar #lugar #abrazo #fraternal #los #piquetes #autentica #vanguardia #saludo #asambleas #comit #muy #especial #juventud #trabajadora #convocada #abre #camino #toda #en #contra #presupuestos #guerra #militarizaci #econom #diferentes #pa #ses #sin #reservas #reivindicaci #inmediata #ruptura #concreci #palestina #libre #desde #rio #hasta #mar #les #deseamos #todas #suertes #fuerzas #todos #xitos #alguna #forma #sentimos #tambi #nuestra #viva #secretario #pol #tico #daniel #casal
Messaggi di solidarietà internazionale ad USB per lo sciopero generale del 28 novembre

... General strike which is going to take place on 28-29 November 2025 under the slogan: “Say NO to the Meloni government's budget law – stand with ...

WFTU Solidarity Statement with the Strike in Italy 25 Nov 2025by central wftu The World Federation of Trade Unions, the militant voice of more that 105 million workers who live, work and struggle in 134 countries of the 5 continents, expresses its u…#wftu #solidarity #statement #strike #italy #nov #central #world #federation #trade #unions #militant #voice #million #workers #live #work #struggle #countries #continents #expresses #undivided #working #class #general #going #take #place #- #november #slogan #say #meloni #government #s #budget #law #stand #palestinian #people #stop #genocide #conscious #dignified #reaction #popular #strata #war #economy #preparations #reduce #resources #health #education #services #increase #precariousness #undermining #interests #pensioners #students #unemployed #international #class-oriented #union #movement #struggles #peace #immediate #end #wars #imperialist #intervention #affiliates #globe #fight #society #wealth #producers #will #allocated #produce #labor #toil #join #worker #just #demands #wage #permanent #stable #living #conditions #--- #dear #comrades #unione #sindacale #base #usb #salute #including #palestine #call #national #also #deeply #appreciate #long-lasting #unwavering #facing #resisting #israel #ongoing #years #settler-colonialism #apartheid #strikes #shed #bright #light #shameful #complicity #italian #corporations #enabling #illegal #occupation #palestinians #shown #power #inspired #many #across #dockworkers #called #september #october #recent #announced #well #disruptive #actions #preventing #stopping #military #cargo #ports #directed #genocidal #can #play #key #role #escalating #peacefully #disrupting #crimes #civil #large #response #meaningful #global #weekend #action #bds #welcomed #news #ceasefire #agreement #reached #however #continues #killing #starving #maiming #albeit #different #form #even #real #important #first #step #livestreamed #illegally #occupied #besieged #gaza #strip #without #massive #pressure #combined #trump-netanyahu #plan #constitutes #continuation #less #visible #us #hope #provoke #regional #outrage #boycotts #sanctions #repercussions #planned #annihilation #denial #refugees #rights #yet #won #needed #ever #begins #ending #serious #accountability #moral #legal #obligations #see #know #tide #turned #must #back #precisely #brought #wave #targeted #spain #t #rkyie #malaysia #colombia #slovenia #antigua #barbuda #governments #globally #isolated #internationally-wanted #prime #minister #recently #admitted #understood #desperate #attempt #relieve #isolation #save #-year-old #regime #settler-colonial #oppression #reasons #professional #urgently #renew #around #escalate #effort #colonial #calls #movements #put #center #adopt #highest #priority #mobilisations #express #liberation #self-determination #return #reparations #uphold #following #icj #rulings #starting #imposing #comprehensive #embargo #halting #sale #purchase #transfer #transit #parts #dual-use #items #ensuring #user #compliance #eni #halt #oil #petrol #launch #broad #intersectional #campaigns #compel #institutions #city #councils #universities #hospitals #etc #ethical #procurement #investment #policies #applicable #exclude #companies #knowingly #persistently #involved #grave #human #violations #particularly #humanity #forces #broader #economic #academic #cultural #sports #mahmoud #nawajaa #coordinator #committee #bnc #tras #el #anuncio #sindicato #syndicale #de #convocatoria #huelga #horas #para #pr #ximo #d #noviembre #frente #sindical #obrero #canarias #saluda #clase #obrera #italiana #sus #organizaciones #y #especialmente #organizaci #n #hermana #camaradas #fieles #nuestros #principios #manifestamos #todo #nuestro #apoyo #lucha #anticapitalista #apoyamos #esta #las #movilizaciones #que #dar #lugar #abrazo #fraternal #los #piquetes #autentica #vanguardia #saludo #asambleas #comit #muy #especial #juventud #trabajadora #convocada #abre #camino #toda #en #contra #presupuestos #guerra #militarizaci #econom #diferentes #pa #ses #sin #reservas #reivindicaci #inmediata #ruptura #concreci #palestina #libre #desde #rio #hasta #mar #les #deseamos #todas #suertes #fuerzas #todos #xitos #alguna #forma #sentimos #tambi #nuestra #viva #secretario #pol #tico #daniel #casal
Messaggi di solidarietà internazionale ad USB per lo sciopero generale del 28 novembre

Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star Review

By Kenstrosity

Ah, space. How little we know of thee. How awestruck we are by thine crushing beauty. It’s no surprise, as I noted in my review for Vorga’s debut record, Striving Toward Oblivion, that artists across various fields and mediums draw inspiration from the immense, unknowable thing that is space. With such a deep well to draw from—as much in terms of raw data and information as in fiction and imagination—I doubt even the relative microcosm of black metal could ever exhaust this rich and ever-expanding resource. Picking up right where they left off in 2022, German melodic black metal quartet Vorga blast off into the deepest reaches of inky blackness, dotted with brilliant stars, pillowy but fearsome nebulas, and countless worlds untouched. To infinity and Beyond the Palest Star!

Last time we checked in on Vorga, they adopted a greater focus on melody and atmosphere than exhibited on early EP’s, and to great effect. Combing the great expanse using tools similar to those of Mare Cognitum, Hoth, and Imperialist, the fledgling explorers carved out a distinctive voice and crafted some of the most engaging new melodic black metal I had the pleasure of reviewing during my tenure at AMG. After two years, Beyond the Palest Star offers more contemplative material to offset surges of adrenaline, evoking a greater sense of ebb and flow than before. While this does soften some of their new material more than many might want or expect, choosing this methodology imparts the faster and more fervent passages greater impact. Indeed, there’s part of me that initially pined for the consistent rush of Striving Towards Oblivion’s enthusiastic riffs and inspirational melodies. Yet, with time, I’ve come to appreciate Beyond the Palest Star’s more restrained and observant character.

Unlike previous outings, Beyond the Palest Star takes a moment to get going. As opener “Voideath” leans on atmospheric and gentler melodic elements to nudge the record carefully forward, the more energetic double-bass-led “The Sophist” ignites, propelling listeners with a sense of urgency felt as much as heard. Using its six-and-a-half minutes to evoke a deliberately extended chase through perilous deep-space worlds, “The Sophist” naturally justifies follow-up “Magical Thinking” taking the time to observe a new sector—beautifully blooming and creatively layered melodies coalescing against a backdrop of delicate sci-fi synth effects—with eager eyes. While the song isn’t especially immediate and won’t find many friends amongst those hordes of riff-fiends populating the metalverse, it is undoubtedly affecting and worthy of appreciation. The respite from unrestrained velocity it affords, in turn, maximizes the cratering impact of album highlight “The Cataclysm.” A violent, riff-focused piece with a shorter runtime, this number blasts off into hyperspace so powerfully when put in such proximity with “Magical Thinking” that I can’t help but feel my skin peel against mighty gravitational forces. Consequently, the second half of the record gains the necessary context to warp and intertwine ominous atmosphere with action-packed guitar work until the journey’s inevitable conclusion. That brings us to closer “Terminal,” which deals the album’s chunkiest riffs and weariest melodies in concert to conjure a final rest point after what was undoubtedly an equally taxing and awe-inspiring journey.

Ultimately, the way Beyond the Palest Star tells its story marks Vorga’s greatest strength. Beyond musical ability and taste level in style, Vorga’s main accomplishment on Beyond the Palest Star is album arrangement and pacing. Smart packaging decisions and brilliant composing form a dynamic, richly textured experience that doesn’t offer the immediacy of past works, but rather exhibits a compelling depth and maturity that belies the band’s youth. It’s a crying shame, then, that this record’s production represents a massive downgrade from previous works. Crushed, cluttered, and noisy, Beyond the Palest Star begs desperately for the clarity and breathing room of the last record. Especially considering Vorga’s gorgeous application of melody and atmosphere, I expect them to prioritize mixing and mastering choices that complement and support the immersive soundscapes they create. This production, sadly, works strongly against that goal.

Beyond the Palest Star is musically on par with the standard Vorga set for themselves two years ago, but listening to it presents a greater physical challenge. Such conflicts made Vorga’s sophomore LP more difficult to grade than I would’ve liked. At the end of the day, it’s the record’s unsuitable loudness that brought my score down from what I wanted to award. Nonetheless, Beyond the Palest Star is another compelling entry in Vorga’s annals of final frontier black metal, and I highly recommend giving it a whirl.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 51 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: facebook.com/vorgaband | vorgaband.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: March 29th, 2022

#2024 #35 #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BeyondThePalestStar #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #Hoth #Imperialist #Mar24 #MareCognitum #MelodicBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TranscendingObscurityRecords #Vorga

Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star Review

By Kenstrosity

Ah, space. How little we know of thee. How awestruck we are by thine crushing beauty. It’s no surprise, as I noted in my review for Vorga’s debut record, Striving Toward Oblivion, that artists across various fields and mediums draw inspiration from the immense, unknowable thing that is space. With such a deep well to draw from—as much in terms of raw data and information as in fiction and imagination—I doubt even the relative microcosm of black metal could ever exhaust this rich and ever-expanding resource. Picking up right where they left off in 2022, German melodic black metal quartet Vorga blast off into the deepest reaches of inky blackness, dotted with brilliant stars, pillowy but fearsome nebulas, and countless worlds untouched. To infinity and Beyond the Palest Star!

Last time we checked in on Vorga, they adopted a greater focus on melody and atmosphere than exhibited on early EP’s, and to great effect. Combing the great expanse using tools similar to those of Mare Cognitum, Hoth, and Imperialist, the fledgling explorers carved out a distinctive voice and crafted some of the most engaging new melodic black metal I had the pleasure of reviewing during my tenure at AMG. After two years, Beyond the Palest Star offers more contemplative material to offset surges of adrenaline, evoking a greater sense of ebb and flow than before. While this does soften some of their new material more than many might want or expect, choosing this methodology imparts the faster and more fervent passages greater impact. Indeed, there’s part of me that initially pined for the consistent rush of Striving Towards Oblivion’s enthusiastic riffs and inspirational melodies. Yet, with time, I’ve come to appreciate Beyond the Palest Star’s more restrained and observant character.

Unlike previous outings, Beyond the Palest Star takes a moment to get going. As opener “Voideath” leans on atmospheric and gentler melodic elements to nudge the record carefully forward, the more energetic double-bass-led “The Sophist” ignites, propelling listeners with a sense of urgency felt as much as heard. Using its six-and-a-half minutes to evoke a deliberately extended chase through perilous deep-space worlds, “The Sophist” naturally justifies follow-up “Magical Thinking” taking the time to observe a new sector—beautifully blooming and creatively layered melodies coalescing against a backdrop of delicate sci-fi synth effects—with eager eyes. While the song isn’t especially immediate and won’t find many friends amongst those hordes of riff-fiends populating the metalverse, it is undoubtedly affecting and worthy of appreciation. The respite from unrestrained velocity it affords, in turn, maximizes the cratering impact of album highlight “The Cataclysm.” A violent, riff-focused piece with a shorter runtime, this number blasts off into hyperspace so powerfully when put in such proximity with “Magical Thinking” that I can’t help but feel my skin peel against mighty gravitational forces. Consequently, the second half of the record gains the necessary context to warp and intertwine ominous atmosphere with action-packed guitar work until the journey’s inevitable conclusion. That brings us to closer “Terminal,” which deals the album’s chunkiest riffs and weariest melodies in concert to conjure a final rest point after what was undoubtedly an equally taxing and awe-inspiring journey.

Ultimately, the way Beyond the Palest Star tells its story marks Vorga’s greatest strength. Beyond musical ability and taste level in style, Vorga’s main accomplishment on Beyond the Palest Star is album arrangement and pacing. Smart packaging decisions and brilliant composing form a dynamic, richly textured experience that doesn’t offer the immediacy of past works, but rather exhibits a compelling depth and maturity that belies the band’s youth. It’s a crying shame, then, that this record’s production represents a massive downgrade from previous works. Crushed, cluttered, and noisy, Beyond the Palest Star begs desperately for the clarity and breathing room of the last record. Especially considering Vorga’s gorgeous application of melody and atmosphere, I expect them to prioritize mixing and mastering choices that complement and support the immersive soundscapes they create. This production, sadly, works strongly against that goal.

Beyond the Palest Star is musically on par with the standard Vorga set for themselves two years ago, but listening to it presents a greater physical challenge. Such conflicts made Vorga’s sophomore LP more difficult to grade than I would’ve liked. At the end of the day, it’s the record’s unsuitable loudness that brought my score down from what I wanted to award. Nonetheless, Beyond the Palest Star is another compelling entry in Vorga’s annals of final frontier black metal, and I highly recommend giving it a whirl.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 51 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: facebook.com/vorgaband | vorgaband.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: March 29th, 2022

#2024 #35 #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BeyondThePalestStar #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #Hoth #Imperialist #Mar24 #MareCognitum #MelodicBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TranscendingObscurityRecords #Vorga

Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star Review

By Kenstrosity

Ah, space. How little we know of thee. How awestruck we are by thine crushing beauty. It’s no surprise, as I noted in my review for Vorga’s debut record, Striving Toward Oblivion, that artists across various fields and mediums draw inspiration from the immense, unknowable thing that is space. With such a deep well to draw from—as much in terms of raw data and information as in fiction and imagination—I doubt even the relative microcosm of black metal could ever exhaust this rich and ever-expanding resource. Picking up right where they left off in 2022, German melodic black metal quartet Vorga blast off into the deepest reaches of inky blackness, dotted with brilliant stars, pillowy but fearsome nebulas, and countless worlds untouched. To infinity and Beyond the Palest Star!

Last time we checked in on Vorga, they adopted a greater focus on melody and atmosphere than exhibited on early EP’s, and to great effect. Combing the great expanse using tools similar to those of Mare Cognitum, Hoth, and Imperialist, the fledgling explorers carved out a distinctive voice and crafted some of the most engaging new melodic black metal I had the pleasure of reviewing during my tenure at AMG. After two years, Beyond the Palest Star offers more contemplative material to offset surges of adrenaline, evoking a greater sense of ebb and flow than before. While this does soften some of their new material more than many might want or expect, choosing this methodology imparts the faster and more fervent passages greater impact. Indeed, there’s part of me that initially pined for the consistent rush of Striving Towards Oblivion’s enthusiastic riffs and inspirational melodies. Yet, with time, I’ve come to appreciate Beyond the Palest Star’s more restrained and observant character.

Unlike previous outings, Beyond the Palest Star takes a moment to get going. As opener “Voideath” leans on atmospheric and gentler melodic elements to nudge the record carefully forward, the more energetic double-bass-led “The Sophist” ignites, propelling listeners with a sense of urgency felt as much as heard. Using its six-and-a-half minutes to evoke a deliberately extended chase through perilous deep-space worlds, “The Sophist” naturally justifies follow-up “Magical Thinking” taking the time to observe a new sector—beautifully blooming and creatively layered melodies coalescing against a backdrop of delicate sci-fi synth effects—with eager eyes. While the song isn’t especially immediate and won’t find many friends amongst those hordes of riff-fiends populating the metalverse, it is undoubtedly affecting and worthy of appreciation. The respite from unrestrained velocity it affords, in turn, maximizes the cratering impact of album highlight “The Cataclysm.” A violent, riff-focused piece with a shorter runtime, this number blasts off into hyperspace so powerfully when put in such proximity with “Magical Thinking” that I can’t help but feel my skin peel against mighty gravitational forces. Consequently, the second half of the record gains the necessary context to warp and intertwine ominous atmosphere with action-packed guitar work until the journey’s inevitable conclusion. That brings us to closer “Terminal,” which deals the album’s chunkiest riffs and weariest melodies in concert to conjure a final rest point after what was undoubtedly an equally taxing and awe-inspiring journey.

Ultimately, the way Beyond the Palest Star tells its story marks Vorga’s greatest strength. Beyond musical ability and taste level in style, Vorga’s main accomplishment on Beyond the Palest Star is album arrangement and pacing. Smart packaging decisions and brilliant composing form a dynamic, richly textured experience that doesn’t offer the immediacy of past works, but rather exhibits a compelling depth and maturity that belies the band’s youth. It’s a crying shame, then, that this record’s production represents a massive downgrade from previous works. Crushed, cluttered, and noisy, Beyond the Palest Star begs desperately for the clarity and breathing room of the last record. Especially considering Vorga’s gorgeous application of melody and atmosphere, I expect them to prioritize mixing and mastering choices that complement and support the immersive soundscapes they create. This production, sadly, works strongly against that goal.

Beyond the Palest Star is musically on par with the standard Vorga set for themselves two years ago, but listening to it presents a greater physical challenge. Such conflicts made Vorga’s sophomore LP more difficult to grade than I would’ve liked. At the end of the day, it’s the record’s unsuitable loudness that brought my score down from what I wanted to award. Nonetheless, Beyond the Palest Star is another compelling entry in Vorga’s annals of final frontier black metal, and I highly recommend giving it a whirl.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 51 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: facebook.com/vorgaband | vorgaband.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: March 29th, 2022

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