From the dawn of the classic debut album, Netherstorm, in 2018, Finland's VARGRAV have almost single-handedly reinvigorated the oft-maligned symphonic black metal subgenre. As momentous as the first two full-lengths have been, VARGRAV arguably eclipse both with their third album, The Nighthold. VARGRAV's swirling, cosmic surge has never been more potent; their attack is both sharper and dreamier, crystal-clear and opaque simultaneously. That added clarity creates more immediacy as The Nighthold kicks in, for the aggression of old is kicked into overdrive here and the synths take on a truly orchestral aspect. VARGRAV sequence every song with artistic flair and high drama, concluding the immersive experience with a daresay-soulful guitar solo during the coda of "Creator of the True Realm" that then segues into the nearly-10-minute big-screen instrumental "Ghostlands." What film or filmic realm one enters into (or leaves) is entirely up to the listener...The Nighthold is boundless! It is thus not unjust to liken this achievement to Covenant's classic Nexus Polaris. The second era of VARGRAV has hereby begun with The Nighthold!