Tag: A Certain Taste

Flesh Of Tituba – Black Angel

 

So we are back in the shire once more, no not Pembrokeshire. Although my want to visit this area has seriously been upped by the last two releases I have just dropped. Also, no were not in that other famous shire where little hairy folk live in idyllic underground homes and are good friends with a grey old wizard. We are in Derbyshire of all places. Definitely not the usual landscape you’d associate with this grim level of music, but in this little Eastern part of the North not far from my old stomping ground do we come across a band called Flesh of Tituba and his eagerly new release ‘Black Angel’.

This one man act takes the name from Tituba an Caribbean lady who was alleged to have made a pact with the Devil and accused her of the practice of witchcraft that ended up with her being at the centre of the Salem witch trials. Something not so connected with the town in which this act Hails from, however a great name for a black metal band. Formed in the year of MMXXI this act has at least with 5 singles, 2 splits, 2 E.Ps and one full length what is it that we can expect of this new single and this one man project fronted by Acwulf.

The release in question sets out with a stunning little synth opening and you can almost feel yourself drifting into an opening for a good hard house track, soon enough the synth fades and the guitars glide in effortlessly and we are treated to a hellish and ferocious attack.

The vocals follow suit, venomous and filled with high shrieks and aggression. This is brutal from here on in. Slower segments fill moments but the hell battery of the drums and guitars come straight back in offering little if no reprieve within the first two verses.

The midsection takes on a slower and grinding like doom presence before you are thrown back into the infernal storm of the closing verses of the track. The overdrive on the guitar is heavily used gives you that little hark back to the early nighties second wave black metal sound. However production isn’t compromised at all. All instruments are audible and hold their own throughout the track.

The vocals are a little high in the mix in comparison to previous tracks I’ve heard, however this is not off-putting, nor is it a problem. At least they are audible, which for most bands that try to recreate this level of similar atmosphere and sound from back in the day tend to gloss over and lose themselves within the nostalgia and the stylization.

So it goes without saying that Flesh of Tituba are definitely more about substance over style. On this single track I love the little punk and thrash elements they are that little bit of classic filler on an already thick filled release that incorporates all the elements of a great British black metal track.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIdyUumAcH8

Hails #Foras #LordOfTheShadows.

November 7, 2022

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Ink & Fire – Execution Of Spirit

 

When the label distributing an album holds back until listening to something until they have a physical copy you know it’s something special with that level of anticipation  –  the debut album “Execution of Spirit’  by newly formed USBM project INK & FIRE 

The album makes an immediate impact ‘Bleeding Light’ is the personification of raw and visceral which follows into the title track ‘Execution of Spirt’ which also has a clean element which completely adds a new dimension and really challenges the perception  of  the solitary black metal musician. This also continues into my highlight track ‘A Hero’s Journey’

Continuing on the blistering ‘Shadows in Our Steps commands the listeners full attention, but be warned it’s unrelenting but in the sense that you just cant or wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the moment, and the following ‘Slit Throat of Bacchus’ explores soundscapes from previous tracks.

As the album progresses into ‘Europhoria’ Ink & Fire once again show that they posses such great musicianship the military style drumming that comes through makes the entire track, ‘Folly’ is the biggest surprise as it’s quite folky in it’s presentation whilst maintaining a menacing presence, then it’s straight back to black metal business with ‘Familiar Embers’

The final trio of tracks work incredibly well and if I’m being totally transparent I get that feeling that I am hearing the start of something that’s going to get added to my collection in physical formant soon and is something that I will come back to time and time again as it just holds some much creativity embedded that even after a few listens my experience and what I’ve taken away from it has differed every time.

Execution Of Spirit will be available November 4th via Death Prayer Records  

Full album video courtesy of Transmissions From The Dark

 

November 3, 2022

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Devouring Famine – Mirror of Oblivion

 

1.) The Reflection In The Mirror Of Oblivion. 5:33

2.) The Bubonic Herald. 4:55

3.) Heretical Passage. 1:18

4.) The Mentor’s Skull. 5:39

 

I’m going to start my review a little different today. See below:

 

Prolific

adjective (of a plant, animal, or person) producing much fruit or foliage or many offspring.

 

So can this adjective ever be used within this genre? Well this is what I’m here to seek and with this being the third release under Devouring famine’s belt we open up the 7th circle of hell and look transfixed as the fires grip us.

Track 1) The Reflection In The Mirror Of Oblivion opens with thick colossus riffs and heavy drumming quickening in pace as we move into the first verse. The vocals are that of perfection, they almost take me to Carpathian Forests Nattefrost style vocals. That bitter and venomous style but still able to drop to lower octaves is what makes the entities vocal range something of his own. The track shifts in pace and mid first verse into the second we are treated to a mini solo, very rock n roll in style, so there seems that nice crossover of black n roll and I feel like this is where the comparison to that of Carpathian Forest lies. However it doesn’t end there, little elements of some dsbm riffs are creeping in too.

These little filler riffs are a welcome break from the hell battery of sound of the remaining track. These elevate the track to another level.

This let’s in that almost Leviathan “Silhouette in Splinters” / Shining “Halmstad” vibes. The incorporation of this makes for such a dynamic mix within just the first opening track.

Track 2) “The Bubonic Herald” continues where track one finished off. The opening riff matches that of the first so it almost feels like part two. This is a much slower track with a much more rhythmic pace.

 

The use of the guitars is beautifully transcending in verses leaving the chorus to be the proverbial driving nail as the pace switches to that of your more well known black metal riffs, piercing tremolo picking and a more concise attack on the ears. However the surprise breakdown mid way through after a brief pause were treated to a more death metal breakdown, this showing just all genres can be included. This coupled with the stunning little Leviathan sequence lulls one into a false sense of security as the hell  battery comes back in to close this extremely experimental yet well acustrated track. Track 3) Heretical Passage is a great little fill, incorporating that beautiful melancholy synth passage that leaves you feeling sombre and like your wondering the halls of lonely crypt. This little Dungeon synth ditty is just proof all is possible.

 

Track 4) The Masters Skull tears through you with razor sharp riffs and blast beats from the offset. If you weren’t ready for this then believe you me this is like a line drive to the chest. The thunderous beats and the bass lines are enough to deliver the most punishing blows as they hammer home this crushing track. The entity’s vocals are the most venomous I’ve heard throughout this release which just adds to the absolute ferocity of the track. Whilst the crushing blows are being delivered throughout the verses, the inclusion of some old school N.W.O.B.H.M. riffs are a great welcome break. Taking you back to those early Iron Maiden days these riffs are a great tribute and a great hark back to a well appreciated act. As the riffs subside the track begins to build again and the ferocity in everything is back ten fold. The track closes on a brutal assault of the senses. This is another well structured well thought out demo once again, proving that the entity or D.F can truly up his game with every release possible is just a sheer game changer.

I know a lot of critics have already judged this band before truly digging deep into what there is to offer. Spread across three demos we probably have the most 360° notion of sound, all bases are covered within the genres mixed into these releases. There is something for everyone and to capture this mix it well is definitely raising the bar within this genre of music. So before you shut the door on this act consider what you will be giving up and go back and take a long hard look into the Mirror Of Oblivion.

 

Hails #Foras #LordOfTheShadows.

 

Mirror of Oblivion is available now via Bandcamp

Full album video courtesy of Transmissions From The Dark 

 

 

November 3, 2022

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