Burial Pact

I don’t remember exactly how I came across Rhûn (probably a late-night Bandcamp dive), but I’m glad I did. Burial Pact is a short release that arrives like a full statement, the kind of EP that doesn’t feel like filler between albums. Rhûn is a one-man project out of Portland, and you can hear the singular vision in the way the four tracks flow together.

‘Initiation’ opens things up the way a good intro track should: it builds tension, sets a mood, and gets out of the way before I even think about hitting skip. Then ‘Burial Pact’ kicks in, and it’s the best black metal track I’ve heard all year. The verses drive forward with great momentum before breaking into a slower section that builds weight instead of killing the mood. Midway through, a soaring lead guitar (very Enslaved in its phrasing) takes over, followed by spectral background vocals that usher in the lone chorus. Keys hover in the mix, adding atmosphere without softening the edges. It flows perfectly from start to finish, every section feeding the next.

‘Seeking the Fire’ is more straightforward but no less effective. The central guitar line has an unsettled, spectral quality, and the keyboards bring texture without calling attention to themselves. The closing instrumental is understated and beautiful, a gentle fade that gives closure instead of padding the runtime.

Stylistically, Rhûn sits in an unusual place. There’s the aggression of black metal, but also doom’s sense of weight, progressive rock’s layers of organ and synth, and a knack for melody that ties it all together. It’s as expansive as one-third of an Enslaved record, with the integrity and swagger of Satyricon. That’s not an easy balance to strike, but  Rhûn pulls it off.

If this were a full-length of this quality, we’d be talking album of the year. As it is, Burial Pact is the best EP I’ve heard in 2025, and it's been a year full of great EP's.