As I wake from another night’s slumber and shuffle around my cavernous lair trying to find my zippo to light my wall Sconces. Once lit I rub my hollow empty sockets and stretch my aching body out, first things first let’s make coffee as I put my aluminium percolator on the grate of my fire and leave to brew I sit and roll my first cigarette of the day. Pondering what may be written in the cards for today I sit and stare at the mouth of my hollow. The blackened morning sky rolls by and a chill creeps through. Wishing it was a fraction warmer, not summer warm but that early spring kinda warm, I’m alerted from my daydream to my percolator clicking off. Fetching my favourite cup for a coffee which despite the crack that runs almost the length of the mug and is holding on for dear life. They don’t make them like they used to. Shuffling to the mouth of my cave I light my cigarette and take my first sip of coffee. Staring out at the moon lighting the thick clouds I feel a shiver come over me. Wondering what it could be I search my thick tattered robes and find my mobile buzzing like it’s possessed. Opening it up I have an Instagram notification, at this hour I wonder what I possibly could’ve missed. As I open the app and glance down I have a friend request. As I scratch my hollow skull I take a look and find a band that goes by the name of Lautrec
As I take a brief squint at the entity’s profile. With only three pics up I’d usually be like ok, maybe not especially as I’m quite selective as to whom I work with. However, something was different, something grabbed me and made me want to look deeper. I follow the linktree link and it takes me to the entity’s Bandcamp page. I think to myself should I listen? Curiosity getting the better of me I opened the first track. Boom instant face-melting, well if I had a face to melt. I coughed hard and gasped for breath my cigarette tumbling to the floor as I clutched my chest and my coffee spilling over my hand. I stop the track. Less than a minute in and I’m over to my writing desk. I grabbed my tobacco, my rolls of parchment, and my ink pen, cramming them into my patchwork bag, I’m ready to visit where this entity hails from. Not giving it much thought I hadn’t checked so as I go back to the Bandcamp page the realisation hits me. I’ve got a long stretch ahead of me.
That’s right “Brisbane” Now you and I all know there’s only one place that has that name and that’s in Australia. That’s right readers I’m going down under. So as I go to grab my trusty Walkman and look at its tattered and sorry state I think I’ll just get some new headphones en route. As I check my feathery friend he seems to have a wry smirk to himself. These damn birds are smarter than you can imagine. He shrugs his beak to my cave entrance. I know he can fend for himself. So leaving him on his newfound perch on my writing slope I ready myself to float across vast oceans to the land of OZ. As I float across the cloudy skies I look down at the world and watch people scurry to work. It’s like looking at ants watching them weave and move on the pavements. As I get ready for the longest jaunt I’ve ever been on I settle in for a steady twenty-plus hour flight. The time passes and I finally make it to Brisbane. It’s evening and I’m not gonna lie it’s hot as fuck. Not only is this place classed as down under as on the other side of the world but the weather’s backwards too. It’s Autumn now however it’s still a stifling twenty-seven degrees. I go to look for somewhere to rest my head as I’m tired as buggery. Finding somewhere in this mega-metropolis of a city will be difficult but I’ll manage.
Waking in the morning I sort my ritual breakfast of champions coffee and a cigarette. After strolling into the nearest Starbucks and scaring the living piss out of all in there I pretty much help myself to coffee. Leaving some cash on the counter I stroll the streets and think about how am I to listen to this demo? Finding an electrical store and once again clearing it out of customers and staff. Finding some Bluetooth headphones I again leave cash on the counter and go find a secluded spot before I have hordes of folk with burning torches trying to burn what remains of me. I finally find a secluded spot and ready myself. After having an argument with my new headphones connecting to my device I ready myself..
Track one “Tears Of The Heretic” wastes no time in starting with an almost mathcore metal style opening the drumming and guitars start with a climbing beat and playing style slightly perplexed by this more complex opening the Vocals come in and with their poisonous rasping style they transport this extremely well-structured track into a hateful B.M. Track. Now I’m not gonna punch holes into the structure of this track at all as musically this is jaw-dropping if I truly had one to drop. From the climbing intro and first verse, this track launches into a furious swirl of blasts and pitched harmonics from the guitars. The bass thunders under the powerful kicks from the bass drum matching one another note for note. This is an extremely complex playing style for B.M. But hell am I absorbing it. Each blow from the drums is like a line check to the chest. Everything on here is perfectly audible the mix on every instrument is just pure chef’s kiss. If this is a demo then unholy hell what will the full-length offer us? There are significant time changes throughout this track and they blend seamlessly together like nothing I’ve heard. These sharp B.M. Sections are just literally battering and non-remorseful. As we reach the midsection the speed is driving this track and the vocals are just bitter and full of hatred another time signature enters and we shift into a more blackened death metal/ thrash riff and beat. Whilst short the breakdown is incredible and before you know it we’re back into the opening time signature again those pitched harmonics and complex off-time beats just melding together like sheer perfection. As the relentless vocals come back they feel even more venomous than previous that is before we get into the last section where the vocals are layered upon one another, the rasping vocals are now backed by deeper death growls. This matched with a climbing scale from the guitars working in perfect harmony with one another just left me shaken. As the lead starts to make his own path in the track you can sense the track is coming to an end, as the fade comes in you can really get a feel for the musicianship on this. The guitars loaded with overdrive play out perfectly.
Track two “Blackened Metal Theory” opens with a much slower pace, again a slow but progressive one, the slight hint of a synth in the background, not enough to turn this into a twinkly nightmare. Just enough to add some deep atmosphere. Again the vocals come rushing in with their rasping hateful vision. The beat again is thundering and building slowly it’s like a tremor from an earthquake.. not before the whole track bursts open and starts to swallow you whole. The guitars are speedily playing while the drums blast away like cracking lighting in a blackened sky. Before we almost hit the midway point all bets are off. We reach the midsection and slow back to the pace of the intro and first verse not before being launched back to the blistering speed section then retreating back to the slower section again. The mix of these two paces truly breaks this track up beautifully. As we progress into the third verse we are treated to a blackened thrash solo from the lead and woah… just where did that come from, the use of every instrument is just perfectly placed. The induction of some class tremolo riffs is well placed into the closing segment and in the gaps, the synth just elevates this track to heights unknown.
This track certainly matches its title, with all these varying styles melded together on one track is this the entity’s vision of modern B.M? If so what a construct of a track to put it all under one roof and the title to match. If this were a recipe guide for another band to follow then believe me when I say don’t deviate from it as this has it all for you. Every measure that has gone in has been equal to that of the other and it has created this all-encompassing Blackened Metal Theory.
Track three “Whispers Of Treachery” literally connects to its predecessor and has literally no remorse to it. Entering into a hail of blast beats and swirling riffs, the vocals are like a frozen wind and coming from a country that has pretty consistent weather this is just mind-blowing as they literally bite at you. These opening verses are just relentless in their drive. Everything has been turned up to eleven and the gloves are off its bare knuckle all the way. This is before we are treated to a small rhythmical breakdown, the guitars turn from their sharpened style to that of a much more thicker riff. Again the lead is breaking through with those pitched harmonics. You can sense another shift coming but we shift no further than the absolute blackened thrash attack. The track title fits the passion and the sound of the track. Are these whispers of treachery a reflection of certain members of the B.M. Community not acknowledging the level of both passion and varying influences in the scene? It’s open to interpretation however, it’s definitely one to think about. As the track fades out the synth again makes an appearance literally for atmospheric prosperity and just closes this track perfectly. While the shortest track in the demo it truly has its place and drives a nail deep into the listener. If you don’t find this E.P. Gripping up and until this point. Then I have no idea what to say..
Track four “In Search Of Waters Oblivion” is the title track of the demo and whilst opening like a ferocious storm this track has some underlying beauty to it. The guitars are working as two separate entities the rhythm keeping that grinding tone to back both the drummer and bassist. Whilst the lead brings back those pitched harmonics creating that ever-creeping close atmosphere. This track shifts between two paces both are equally as tyrannical as one another, the breaks just seem a little lower in their delivery and tonal value. They are welcomed as the swirling vortex of sound on the main bulk is definitely an all consuming sound. The vocals on each track have been completely on point, stunningly rasping and hateful. There are definite moments where the main entity holds back and lets his spiteful growls through during the midsection. This track is one hell of a track to play out on. Out of all the tracks this has the most typical B.M. Sounds and connotations about it. It is ferocious from the outset and even though there are those lighter yet deeper moments it still drives the track leaving no one alive in its wake. This track is like being torn apart with razor wire. The instance and the straight for the jugular is paramount and it’s reflected in every sense.
As the track comes to an end I’m almost left staring out into space. I’m sat here waiting to hear the click of my Walkman stopping instead everything is silent. The odd rumble of traffic every now and then but hey what can you do? As I snap out of this almost zombie-like trance I reach into my robes grab my tobacco and roll myself a cigarette. As I sit here smoking it I’m literally in shock, my hands are trembling and my cigarette is too. This is not due to being cold whilst normally I would, this is outta sheer moment of wow. As I’ve stated my passion for the raw and uncompromising sound of B.M. Is deep. Yet this offered so much more. I’ve spoken about albums being so three-dimensional in sound yet this one is just that and so much more and this isn’t even a full release. This is a demo. I defy anyone to tell me that there is no skill needed in this genre because if that’s the case this one-man act from Oz has literally just wiped the flaw with every one of you. I feel this is where it all could be going. One man projects that play with sheer passion and the feel of that black flame burning deep within. This is possibly one of the finest-sounding demos out at this moment in time. I also feel there is a lot to be learned from this release. Those little tempo changes, fills and guitar licks have all made this demo what it is. There is a term I’d like to use about the entity of this act and that’s “savant”. Musically and technically he has literally crafted something that has not only blown the cobwebs outta my hollow skull but has brought a new, fresh and more advanced sound to the genre. I personally cannot wait to check out his full release. Instead I’ll settle for his demo that is being issued by Canti Eretici. So if you want in on a label’s possible best-kept secret. I’d buy yours now. There is gonna be something truly startling from this entity soon and you don’t want to be caught sleeping on it.
#foras #lordoftheshadows
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