Artist: Shylmagoghnar
Title: Convergence
Label: Napalm Records
Cat #: NPR1039JC
Release Year: 2023
Duration: Album
Format: CD
Packaging Type: Jewel Case

Convergence is the third full length album from the Dutch melodic death/black metal project Shylmagoghnar.

"What started out as a duo back in 2004 has turned into a one-man-band, yet, the third album, titled Convergence, sees atmospheric black metal act Shylmagoghnar returning heavier and stronger than before.

Shylmagoghnar is still a home-produced project to this day, run by multi-instrumentalist and founding band member Nimblkorg. Convergence picks up right where both previous albums left off, and is intended as the end installment of a trilogy-in-spirit. While its predecessors, the much-acclaimed Emergence (2014) and Transience (2018), invited the listener on a journey through human existence, time and space, Convergence marks the inward journey of death that one has to go through before being able to pass on.

Although it may be from a literal perspective, as the album's protagonist is dying and lyrics describe the emotional, philosophical and psychedelic journey he is undertaking, the third Shylmagoghnar offering is also an allegory for learning to let go of positive and negative themes of the past that hold us back from moving on, and eventually, hopefully reaching inner peace.

Musically, Shylmagoghnar delivers the perfect soundtrack to that journey, where raw heaviness meets pure elegy, and where destruction gives way to harmony. Such as from the monumental beauty of the epic piano intro in ""Follow The River"", there’s a burst into a progressive black and death metal storm! Other tracks, such as ""The Sea"" and ""Infinion"", showcase the haunting, melodic and ballad-like yet almost folk-meets-power metal-esque facets of Shylmagoghnar.

Both inside and outside of the music, Shylmagoghnar has always been a path with a will of its own for the Southern Netherlands-based Nimblkorg, who produces and records all of the music on his own. Once again, almost half of the album is instrumental, as Nimblkorg agrees with a significant part of his fan base in that words can distract from the enjoyment of the music. The band mastermind also wishes to motivate other artists to not be afraid of home production. But what is immediately evident while listening to Convergence, is that it marks the deepest and most personal Shylmagoghnar record to date, as it's dedicated to his late mother.

Convergence is a stirring, emotional and deep journey - never afraid of genre borders and always balanced between the light and dark, the beauty and horror, life and death. Some bands need countless records and members to create a masterpiece, while Shylmagoghnar already unleashes it with album number three, and one that will ultimately establish this one-man-show as one of the most enthralling acts in extreme music!"

Recommended if you like: Opeth, Be'lakor, Insomnium, Dissection, Dark Tranquility, Catamenia, Enslaved, Wintersun, Wolfheart, Ne Obliviscaris, Windir, Edge of Sanity

Track Listing:
1. I Hear The Mountain Weep
2. Follow The River
3. Threshold
4. Strata
5. Gardens Of The Erased
6. Egregore
7. Infinion
8. Convergence
9. The Sea
10. Becoming