A one-man project from the mountains of Brazil, Matheus Vidor (who goes by Autrest) uses black metal as the backbone for soundscapes that incorporate a wide variety of musical wanderings. These atmospheric pieces are kinda doomy, definitely shoe-gazey and sound a lot like a black metal version of My Bloody Valentine. That is, there's a lot going on behind the scrim.

Autrest Follow the Cold Path (self-released)

I don't think this sort of thing would work for a band. The vision is simply too singular. The songs are long and develop slowly. And while they never quite break out of black metal, there are plenty of folk and prog elements to go with the distortion-laden sound. Kinda like early Tiamat, but only moreso.

Is there anyone out there playing symphonic death metal with such a wide array of ideas? I haven't heard it. Purists of all types will likely be horrified. Again, that's the advantage of having one person do it all. The sound is glorious, and when all of the moving parts snap together (most songs have something of an orgasmic climax) the effect is ear-splitting--and astonishing.

These paths may not be the most comfortable, but they do provide some gorgeous vistas. The ambition behind this album was immense and fully-realized. Brutal, beautiful and sometimes inscrutable. Unwinding the trail is as enjoyable as bathing in the magnificence.

Jon Worley