You can really feel the storyline described above reflected in the music. I appreciate this kind of inventive Black Metal so much more than the traditional sounds of the FWOBM. It’s just enough to flavor the album, but a little more could have really elevated the album. They layers are key to much of the sound here, as well as the additions of piano and keyboards. As the story ends, it ends badly for the servant.
Opening with clear guitars and some keyboards for texture, it moves slowly, allowing the feeling of nothingness to seep in. “Between the Worlds” closes the album, at six-and-a-half-minutes in length. Ovfrost really shows some strong songwriting skills with this piece. Some more guitars and keys mix in, adding melodic but sad layers to the instrumental. “Descent into Ruin” is a shorter song, beginning with doleful clean guitars. It ends on a charming bed of piano notes. It might be three or four different guitar notes mixing in together. The layering here is once again underscored. “Chthonic Trinity” begins with mighty guitar notes, and a sense of grandeur. The aforementioned Satellite, my personal highlight of the album, thunders to life on a foundation of tragic, wailing tremolos before slowing down and amping up the atmosphere for the chorus. Karst Relict stands solidly upon a foundation of inventive riffs, leads, arpeggios, and more riffs.
This is pure despondence mixed with rage in the vocals. Fortunately, Malist knows how to write good black metal. Slow, calm guitars take the lead at first. “Lifeless Ease of Nonbeing” is over six minutes in length. Cleans are added, then the main riff drops. “A Way Through Limbo” begins with low guitar tones, while a thick bed of bass guitars lays underneath. Towards the end, come clean guitars work into the mix, and it rolls to completion. Some guttural vocals sound in, creating a very harrowing effect. There is a discernable pattern from the guitar work. “Timeless Torch” begins with clean guitar notes, which are a little sad. It stays its course until the end, when it slows with some piano notes. “Satellite” begins with a heavy and aggressive sound, with those dual guitars keeping the harmony.
Some desperate sounding spoken words appear, then it’s back to the original sound. It takes a darker turn as it approaches the half-way mark, with these charming keyboard notes. The layers Ovfrost builds here is impressive. The main riff drops, and in come the harsh vocals. Opening with doleful clean guitars, played a slow rhythm, some lead notes soon join in. The King punishes his former servant with death, unwittingly summoning a violent cataclysm…the album contains eight tracks. Slave to the will of the Tyrant King, the hero slowly comes to his senses as he attempts to uncover the truth to all the inhabitants of the kingdom, that there is a whole world outside the cave they have been living in that the ruler of this realm is the source of their never-ending misery and grief. "Karst Relict" completes the album trilogy of “Karst Realm” and the path of a nameless hero through its vast nether halls and mountain hollows. completing the album trilogy of Karst Realm and the path of a nameless hero through its vast.