Review Text
Vouna is the project of multi-instrumentalist and composer Yianna Bekris. With her second full-length album Atropos, she unveils a towering and singular doom metal wonder in a unique visioning, reminiscent of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and Evoken. Upon this thick foundation of doom, multiple musical textures intertwine: atmospheric black metal, dungeon synth, darkwave, film scores, and rebetiko. It is through these woven sonic tapestries that Bekris creates vivid atmospheres expressing the myriad emotions surrounding death, mourning, and suicidal ideation. Atropos, named for the Greek fate who cut the thread of life thus determining the final fate for mortals, not only conveys the inevitability of death, but also explores it's contrasting and dynamic nature through immersive compositions representing despair, loneliness, anxiety, peace, and dignity. Vouna's debut was recorded at the Owl Lodge in Olympia, WA in 2017 and subsequently released by Artemisia Records in 2018. Though her debut was synth-focused, this release gives the guitars more weight and space while retaining an abundance of vintage '90s synthesizers, and additionally utilizes analog synths and folk and orchestral instrumentation for dramatic effect. Atropos sees her further expand her sound through the collaboration with several guest musicians, including Nathan Weaver (Wolves In The Throne Room) on vocals, Asia Kindred Moore (Sangre de Muerdago, Solace) on the harp, Entrail on violin, and members of the Vouna live lineup playing synth and electric lap steel.
