Luminous Vault

**Luminous Vault** is a New York-based experimental duo known for their hypnotic fusion of black metal, industrial electronics, and synth-driven atmospherics. Formed by multi-instrumentalists Mario Diaz de Leon (also of TLÏC and Oneirogen) and Samuel Smith (Bass/Vocals), the pair crafts brooding, textural soundscapes that balance crushing rhythms with eerie melodic tension. Their music often feels like a ritualistic collision of analog grit and futuristic gloom, drawing comparisons to acts like Deathspell Omega or Portal filtered through a sci-fi lens.

Since emerging in the mid-2010s, Luminous Vault has released critically praised albums like *Charismata* (2017) and *Animate the Emptiness* (2022) via Profound Lore Records, showcasing their knack for blending dissonant riffs, pulsing electronics, and cryptic lyrical themes. Live, they’re known for immersive performances that amplify their studio work’s hypnotic intensity. If you’re into genre-bending heaviness that feels equally ancient and alien, this duo’s discography is a rabbit hole worth diving into.