Ustalost - The Spoor Of Vipers

When Will Skarstad of Yellow Eyes approached Gilead Media to discuss the potential release of his new solo project, Ustalost, we knew the answer needed to be yes. But what we didn’t know was how emotionally powerful this project would be so quickly after the release of the astoundingly dense Yellow Eyes album Sick With Bloom.

The Spoor Of Vipers is the first release from Will Skarstad’s Ustalost. All instruments and vocals are written and performed by Will himself, and as a first release this is an album of unusual ambition. The Spoor Of Vipers is a shimmering album of towering lo-fi black metal, not terribly far from the stylistic realm where Yellow Eyes dwells, although Ustalost is distinctly its own creature.

This debut LP is a grand document of splendor and magnificence, as songs transition from dense tremolo parts into gorgeous fanfares and complex, atmospheric riffage. But the underlying power of this music is that through both cacophonous and synth drenched passages the songs manage to emit a profoundly sad tone that also feels fundamentally incurable.

The Spoor Of Vipers was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Will’s brother, Sam Skarstad. The LP is presented by Gilead Media as a single LP in a single pocket jacket with a gold foil stamp. A download code is included.