REVIEW

The seventh album by Unreqvited, a post-black metal / blackgaze project from Canada. Unreqvited is the solo project of Oni (Ghost), and since its debut in 2016, Oni has consistently crafted dramatic works that fuse the violent intensity of black metal with grand, symphonic arrangements built from piano and strings.

This album marks a significant new step for the project, most notably through the full-fledged introduction of clean vocals, pushing Unreqvited into previously unexplored territory. The opening track, #1 “Overture: I Disintegrate,” immediately signals this shift, featuring Oni’s own beautiful clean singing set against a melancholic piano accompaniment. While choral textures have appeared in past releases, this is the first time vocals have taken such a central, fully realized role.

#2 “The Antimatter” begins with Unreqvited’s trademark symphonic blast, then unfolds through deft shifts in dynamics, weaving clean vocals and screams into a highly dramatic structure. It feels like a symbolic piece that reflects the project’s past, present, and future all at once. The album’s clear highlight, however, is #3 “The Starforger.” Opening with a sorrowful arpeggio, the track gradually develops as mystical synths intertwine with plaintive guitar lines, before erupting in the chorus with an intensely emotional vocal performance. The sheer beauty of the voice—reminiscent of TesseracT’s Daniel Tompkins—is genuinely striking.

Tracks such as #4 “Void Essence / Frozen Tears” and #5 “Into the Starlit Beyond” take on a mid-tempo, post-rock-inflected approach, where the contrast between clean vocals and screams is especially effective. Shimmering tremolo guitars and luminous synths spread out like stars filling the celestial sphere. The closing track, #7 “Departure: Everlasting Dream,” is a gentle, end-credit-worthy piece built around piano and strings. Motifs from “The Starforger” return like fragments of memory, quietly bringing the story to its conclusion.

This is an innovative work that showcases Unreqvited’s evolution in a progressive and deeply dramatic direction. Listening with your eyes closed, vast, sci-fi-like visions naturally emerge in the mind. When the album ended, I found myself recalling the emotional final scenes of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar—but what kind of story did it evoke for you?

From May 2025, Unreqvited will embark on a North American tour alongside Tribulation and Unto Others. It will be fascinating to see how Unreqvited’s music translates into a full band performance. Given the project’s past connection through a split release with Japanese act Asunojokei, one can’t help but hope for a future Japan tour as well.