Band: Al Uzza
Album: Throne of the Black Dunes
Genre: Ambient/Raw Black Metal
Country: Iraq
Label: Depressive Illusions
Released: August 14, 2025
Introduction
Al Uzza is a one man black metal project from Iraq.
Throne of the Black Dunes
It’s not often that I stumble across something that feels this authentic within the realm of black metal anymore. It’s rare, especially when most of what is released now feels like a cheap imitation or a copy of the early days. Or it is so far removed from what in essence is “Black Metal” that it hardly constitutes as such. The term almost feels over-used to the point that it’s just a trendy label to get bands attention and likes on bullshit platforms like TikTok.
Tracklist:
- End of Kingdom
- The Beginning of Ark
- Calls From Nature
- The Last Man Standing
- Throne of the Black Dunes
- Dark Forests
Al Uzza is an exception. A welcome surprise. There is integrity and conviction in his art. A sonic sincerity, that has for the most part, been washed away from the scene in the name of fads, trends and gimmicks.
The opening track The Beginning of Ark is a sprawling 15 minute ambient instrumental track in the vein of later Burzum releases.
Calls From Nature bears fruit in the form of raw, gritty, DIY black metal blended with the ambient elements from the previous track.
The Last Man Standing however is where things really start to blossom on this album. It’s has so much raw texture and the drums sound fucking killer. The layered vocals on this track really stood out to me. The black metal screams and the subtle chanting cleans woven together offer a unique listening experience. This is hands down my favorite track on the album.
Throne of the Black Dunes is pure raw black metal. There are some really aggressive and heavy guitar riffs here especially towards the end of the track that I love. Again, the DIY nature of these recordings really adds to its overall atmosphere.
Dark Forests and End of Kingdom are both ambient tracks. Stylistically again I am reminded of later Burzum.
Conclusion
This is Black Metal for the sake of Black Metal. This isn’t a tag in the sub-genre olympics. There are no gimmicks or fads to be found here. It’s pure in its form and I am looking forward to hearing how this project grows in future releases. Fans of the Second Wave and ambient Black Metal will surely enjoy it.
BMZ Rating: 6,5 out of 10
Support Al Uzza here: https://aluzza1.bandcamp.com/
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