(Review borrowed from Metal Archives, written by Slater922, August 3rd, 2021)

Well, it seems like Vargrav couldn't help but continue his journey to take some elements of Emperor and make it sound even more epic and atmospheric, as in 2019, he released his second album "Reign in Supreme Darkness". This album is considered the weaker record of Vargrav's two album discography. While I can kinda agree that it is slightly weaker, at the same time, this still has a lot going for it. Not only does it follow a similar style to the previous album, but RISD would occasionally go even bigger with its style. Let's start off with the instrumentals. The previous album did had an epic/atmospheric black metal style in it, but this next album would take it one step further. One excellent example of this would be in the track "The Glory of Eternal Night". The synths are given an even greater emphasis on this album, and it has a more melodic and epic sound than the synths in the previous albums. As for the guitar riffs, they do feel a bit weak. It's kinda hard to hear them, and when you do hear them, it sounds more like Emperor-like riffs instead of Vargrav-like riffs. The drumming, however, is still great, as its technical beat patterns are still able to lead the rest of the instruments. Despite a lack of unique riffs, "The Glory of Eternal Night" is one of the strongest tracks on this album, as well as "In Streams from Great Mysteries", "As the Shadows Grow Silent", and "Arcane Stargazer". While some more bland guitar riffs are a bit of a problem, the high-quality synths and well-composed drumming make up for the grand and vast atmosphere. As for the vocals, they are actually improved upon in this album. Netherstorm had some great vocals too, but the mixing and production buried it in the mix sometimes. Here, the mixing of the vocals is improved upon, so it's given just as much attention as the instruments. V-KhaoZ's shrieks still have the echo effect that makes his voice sound more powerful and striking, and his crazy personality enhance the lyrics. Trollhorn from Moonsorrow also does the backing choir in this album, and his heavenly and melodic voice is excellent at carrying some of the more melodic moments of this album. With better production, the main vocals are able to shine more as well as the backing choir. While this is a great album overall, it does feel less special than the previous album, especially with the weaker guitar riffs. However, with the strong synths, monumental vocals, and skilled songwriting, RISD is still a powerful symphonic black metal album with an even more epic tone from the previous record. While I would still prefer Netherstorm, "Reign in Supreme Darkness" is still an excellent album that I recommend you check out.