Review: Langeneet - Kajastus (2025)

Band: Langenneet
Album: Kajastus
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Finland
Label: Depressive Illusions Records
Released: November 20, 2025

Introduction:

Emerging from the deep and ever-fertile Finnish black metal underground, Langenneet is a one-man project formed sometime around 2020 by the sole member known as Langennut. As with many of Finland’s most compelling black metal entities, Langenneet operates in near-total obscurity, favoring anonymity and symbolism over visibility. From its earliest recordings, the project has been rooted in traditional black metal, filtered through occult philosophy and esoteric cosmology, with lyrics written primarily in Finnish. Before Kajastus, Langenneet established its identity through the debut full-length Kuilun varjoissa and the follow-up Aionin soihtu (2021), releases that combined raw aggression with ritualistic atmosphere and a strong conceptual backbone centered on fallen angels and metaphysical descent. Kajastus (2025) arrives as the project’s most focused and refined statement to date.

The Album:

At its core, Kajastus, translated roughly as “glimmer” or “dawn glow”, is an album of contrasts. Musically, it adheres firmly to the orthodox black metal framework: sharp tremolo riffs, relentless yet unpolished drumming, and caustic vocals that sound more incantatory than expressive. Yet within this familiar structure, Langenneet weaves a sense of progression and revelation, as if the album itself is slowly moving from shadow toward a brief, blinding illumination.

The guitar work is the album’s driving force. Riffs oscillate between cold, slicing repetition and more melodic passages that evoke the distinctly Finnish tradition of melancholic black metal. Rather than relying on sheer speed alone, Kajastus frequently slows its pace just enough to let themes breathe, allowing dissonant harmonies and minor-key melodies to linger. These moments give the album a hypnotic quality. Production-wise, Kajastus strikes a careful balance. It is raw without being indecipherable, maintaining a murky edge that preserves underground authenticity while still allowing individual elements to cut through the mix. The vocals sit slightly buried, reinforcing their role as another instrument rather than a narrative guide, while subtle ambient touches and occasional chant-like passages enhance the album’s ritualistic feel without drifting into excess. Conceptually, Kajastus continues Langenneet’s fascination with angelology and esoteric descent, but there is a noticeable shift in tone. Where earlier releases emphasized abyssal darkness and eternal falling, this album suggests a momentary revelation, an ominous light rather than salvation. The lyrics and mood imply that illumination itself can be destructive, an idea mirrored by the album’s title and its tense, unresolved compositions.

Conclusion:

Kajastus stands as Langenneet’s strongest and most cohesive work so far, capturing the essence of Finnish black metal while carving out a distinct, occult-driven identity. For devotees of traditional black metal who value atmosphere, concept, and restraint over gimmickry, Kajastus is a compelling testament to the enduring power of the underground and a reminder that even the faintest glimmer can cast a long, unsettling shadow.

BMZ rating: 7 out of 10

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