As I wander down into my lair the ping on my mobile signals only one thing… A new review.
Tag: Dark Hails #Foras #LordOfTheShadows.
Isataii – In Vein of the Ancestors
As I sit in my cavernous subterranean dwelling, the candles flicker and cool air starts to fill the space. Slowly the heating dissipates and it’s getting much easier to breathe and cope. I sit at my slope, with my new fan-dangled tablet looking through the history and the source of black metal. As I light up a cigarette and scratch my dry and dusty skull, I wonder if ever there was a gimmick that kickstarted all of this and can we link it to the genre at all if in any way.
Licht Des Urteils – Uhraamo
1.Intro – Litanies of Bacchus Pt. I 00:29
2.Uhraamo 05:49
3.Color Out of Space 06:47
4.Kuollut 03:15
5.Interlude – Litanies of Bacchus Pt. II 01:05
6.Baptised in Unholy Waters 04:46
7.World Eater 03:13
8.Pagan Altars 04:21
9.Ritual of Six 06:22
Now, having been into the scene for the length of time I have, since the second wave of black metal. Many bands have indeed fell under my radar. Now I’m not claiming to be the messiah of the genre far from it. However to have this band slip by me I am certainly quite stunned. So after having these guys brought to my attention, I’m truly blown away by their release. Having been in circulation since MMXVIII they seem to have been Finland’s best kept secret. With only a demo that was released in MMXIX and now their full length in MMXXII we have to wonder why such a large time gap between the years of inception to the demo and the year of the full length. (more…)
Album Review: Ver – Giants Of Mirk
1.The War of Mirk 04:56
2.Bone Mountain 04:00
3.Cain the Gatekeeper 06:13
4.Count Oken 03:09
5.Steps of Ice 01:44
6.Battle Through the Horde 02:55
7.Dark Hole 02:11
8.Struggle in the Abyss 04:24
9.Misery & Hate 02:09
10.Warrior of Chaos 03:30
11.Escape Destitution 03:22
Dark, early mornings are my favourite time of day. The air is still, bitter and cold and there is barely any human life surrounding me. This is my time, the time I put pen to parchment. As I sit by the pale yet dim light of the moon I press play on the next review I am about to compose. Today I am here to talk about Vér and main man Faidal’s latest release “Giants Of Mirk“.
Hailing from Manitoba in Canada and having been on the circuit since MMXXI what will soon become known as the year of the Plague like years before. We have seen Vér release four singles, one E.P. a split and two full length releases. This is certainly an achievement in such a short time, since this one man acts conception. So what does this new album hold and will we see just as much activity in the years to come.
Track 1) “The War Of Mirk” opens with a haunting synth effect this opening would be a very fitting sound to a horror soundtrack. The Distorted spoken word piece sounds ominous and deeply foreboding summoning the arrival of the hell storm that is to come.
As the riffs burst through my headphones it’s certainly noticeable from the outset that there is an element of black n roll to this track with that almost punk like undertone to it. This separating them from those of the B.M. genre who like to just play the usual cold tremolo tracks of old. This merging of the punk, black n roll element is certainly becoming a stern favourite with an other Canadian act like Spectral Wound incorporating little elements of the same.
However other acts like Carpathian Forest, Tsjurder and Tyrant to name a few have all done the same and you definitely get those vibes from Vér’s opening track. This is not a criticism by a long shot, if anything it just separates them from the flock that they could easily have pigeonholed themselves into from just the opening track.
Track 2 “Bone Mountain” starts out with a much slow and sluggish opening and it is here that the cold tremolo parts come creeping through. Backed by some synth work to elevate the tone of both creeping and crawling of this burdensome track, I’m loving the element of doom and enshadowing of this piece.
A stunning guitar solo mid way through breaks the slower elements down, the tones are both cold and harrowing at the same time. Having the title “Bone Mountain” fits this track so well as it gives a leviathan like feeling that something is lurking beyond and this is the soundtrack to your impending demise. To literally go from the black n roll of the opening track to this slow monolithic piece is nothing short of greatness.
It just proves that incorporating as many influences as possible is the way forward to keeping the listener both engaged and eagerly awaiting the next track.
Track 3 “The Gatekeeper” keeps the progression of that of the second track. It’s another slow and grinding number. The riffs are heavy and so slow. The little pitched harmonics in the background keep that edgy, evil almost threatening little moments alive. Mid way through the pace certainly amps up into a black thrash like attack, this elevates the track to an already new demonic level coupled with Faidal’s rasping and diaboli vocals.
Not before we come crashing down into the pits of the darkness once again. This slow sluggish track is almost like a death march and the drums certainly give you that element of feeling in both the beginning and towards the end of the track. It’s the sound of you walking cautiously through caverns on your way to meet the Gatekeeper. The little thrash attack in the middle that I mentioned is definitely a highlight, it gives you the feeling your running from the evil that’s lurking all around. However what the Gatekeeper may have in store for you may well be a fate worse than what you’ve already been subjected too.
Track 4 “Count Oken” is another slowish track but the highlights of little rock n roll drum fills keep you involved and the lead solos give it that little more intricate and sophisticated sound. This track has a very great nod to Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” capturing a similar riff and beat pattern. Yes there is the sound of a bell tolling in the background too and I couldn’t place the familiarity of the tracks sound. Not till I heard the bell then it hit, this track while much slower than its influence if that’s even possible, still retains a almost regal feeling to it going by the title but there is still that little level of trepidation in the sound as the shadow of Count Oken is in the midst all around you.
Track 5 “Steps Of Ice” is one of the shortest tracks on this release, a shortened black attack on the senses, It offers no remorse and the music fits the titles so well. This hellish sound is the sound that happens when you slip and fall to your doom on the aforementioned Steps of Ice.
Track 6 “Battle Through The Horde” there is literally no time to dust yourself off after your spiralling tumble down the previous tracks title. Your soon thrust into battle as the title suggests. The elevated guitar parts sound like you are literally being attacked from all sides and the pounding of the drums is you taking every hit known to man.
However the second version of this track is where both the sound and the pace changes in your favour a short break and you get back into the battle, cutting heads off left and right. This is aggression at its finest and well portrayed well through the format of music. This album is slowly coming together and is telling a tale of days of old and just what happened on that fateful journey.
Track 7 “Dark Hole” is definitely that, it’s a spiralling nightmare of a riff, the rhythm guitar distorted and twisted sounds swirls around you and embrace you as you struggle to find your way down this dark and mirky hole. This sequence of these both choppy punk little track elements within the album certainly keep you on your proverbial toes and add another level of emergency within the story this album is unfolding.
Track 8 “Struggle In The Abyss” is another a much more thrasher sounding track with a great little drum intro it leads into the thrash attack of the guitars, the ferocity and speed at which all the instruments are played once again fit well with the title of the track once again. The feeling of struggle is definitely emphasised in every note and every beat as you battle the very darkness which is consuming you with every second you fight it. Moments where the lead guitar takes hold and you can hear faint little solos in the background are the little gems that lurk on this track. But the driving beat, bass guitar and the rhythm guitar are the driving force on this escalating gritty thrash number of a track. Once again another influence ticked off and well cemented into this landscape of an album.
Track 9 “Misery and Hate” sees us return to that almost Carpathian Forest or even Urgehal sound that Vér seems to incorporate so well. This galloping drum and riff filled number has definitely those moments you can bang your head too, there is almost a slight Death Metal style groove to it too. This is an all encompassing track and definitely will be a crowd pleaser if it was ever to be played live.
Track 10 “Warrior Of Chaos” takes us from one extreme to certainly another, from a galloping death/ blackened metal groove to that of the more ominous and impending doom style once again. The slower parts are thick, sludgy and suffocating, these riffs are slow and just crushing. This feels very Sabbath inspired in sound but with that darkened twist. As the bells tolling and the hint of monks chanting this shadowing opening amps up to a mid level break. It certainly changes up the feeling and the intensity, this is most definitely the chaos element to the tracks title. The track closes out with a total riff fest leaving you a little jaded after all that slow progressive opening.
Track 11 “Escape Destruction” has a much lighter sounding guitar part in it, just in the background behind the slower grinding sound of the rhythm is this almost uplifting indie guitar part. It’s a almost lively and uplifting riff. Definitely has those lighter notes and dare I say almost a Bloc Party element to them. Now I know this may seem like the weirdest addition or even comparison to have on a particularly mixed and heavy album. However it’s right there. This little indie rock n roll outro is brilliant. A great closer to a very well rounded album. And the tones, the beat and the rhythm of the whole song once again fit the title to a T.
In all this album has intact been a journey one of both sound and sight. The music has been the key structure in the telling of a story. One that has so many twists and turns and what VéR dips its toes into is a Manor of genres, from dungeon synth, black metal, death metal, doom, thrash and now indie music is just pure incredible. It’s taken most of the morning to get my head around the influences and sounds this band has achieved all upon one record. I’m sorry but if your going for the gold on this then Faidal has achieved this in spades.
This album is not only a mixture but a reviewers wet dream. It’s filled with so many highs and inspirational nods to bands either since past or ones you never expected and it is that, that makes music such a need for all of us. No matter what your preference I can assure you it’s captured on here. This is an all around breath of fresh air for the genre, one that could easily become stagnant and lifeless given the opportunity. This has been an experience and not one that I’ll ever forget.
Hails #Foras #LordOfTheShadows.
Crymych – Endless Fucking Winter
1.) Purity Capsized. 14:00
2.) Uffern. 4:58
3.) Columns Of The Sightless. 9:09
4.) Pebble Fingers. 2:53
Pembrokeshire Wales, a beautiful costal part of the world, steeped in history dating all the way back between 125’000 and 70’000 years. Neolithic sites, castles and much more adorn such parts. This giving the landscape a very mysterious and intriguing value. However, beneath all of this is something much more interesting. Something dark, something brooding and possibly much more sinister than this idyllic landscape can offer.
Of course I refer to Crymych. A band so mysterious that they step out of the shadows merely once in a blue moon, offer up a recording and regress back into the dark without a trace. This makes for the most mysterious band I have ever heard of, almost a fable or a dark tale you’d tell your children around a campfire. So as we dive in to this release its time to see what lies beneath the surface of this illusive band.
It’s clear to see that Crymych don’t make your typical black metal. These aren’t just tracks they are more like dark sermons. A great selection of ambient and soundscape fill your ears upon the very first track.
The sound of howling winds and torrential rain are backed by the eerie guitar playing. The picking style of the guitar while repetitive adds to the foreboding ambience of this desperately dark track. The drumming is very lose in style with some beautifully intrinsic fills. No need for blast beats and the usual tremolo picking usually found in most black metal as the ambience alone does all the work needed. The vocal style will take you right the way back to the very first Burzum E.P. / Album.
The wild howls and rasping vocals send chills down your spine, all this combined with that unmistakable low production truly transports you back to the early 90’s. This journey through sheer bleakness is enough to make your skin crawl or have you feeling like your tumbling through sheer emptiness never to see the light of day again.
There are little passages of light within the first track, backed by a beautiful eternal glow of ambience and acoustic guitar though this is not to last, it does provide a stunning reproval from the darkness. No sooner said than done does the track revert to its eerily disturbing back drop. At a whopping 13:59 nearly 14 mins total this is the longest track on the album. One that’s designed to take you on new direction and leads you through the mire and the filth that Crymych creates. Track 2) “Uffern” a noun for the word Hell is exactly the description I would use for this track. The drumming takes the centre role within this track. Backed by the demonic screams of the frontman. The guitar in this track is subtle and subdued leaving the synth to take a much more leading role. The guitar however is played in a much more classical way, from what I can pick out and how it sounds to me is very reminiscent of a band called Sky and their song called “Toccata” a beautifully orchestrated piece however slowed down and made just that little bit more grim by production value and the mystery of this band alone.
Track 3) “Colums Of The Sightless is a great mixture of both the first and second track and since seeing the image of Pentre Ifan the neolithic burial chamber, and how the Stones have been constructed like Columns. The track truly has the ability to transport you to that particular place, Its almost like the band have paid homage within the track to said monument, not to mention recorded the album within said chamber. This is the second longest track on the album clocking in at a great 9:08 this track really has the ability to send you soaring over the Pembrokeshire landscape taking in all there is to see.
Lastly we are brought to track 4) “Pebble Fingers” is the shortest and possibly the most ferocious of all the tracks upon this release and its not like the band have even saved the best for last. Crymych close the album in a hail storm of sound, the drumming tempo has been upped to the level of blast beats. The guitars have been dialled up in ferocity too, the vocals provide that ever so icy tone to match the guitars beautifully. This is definitely the shortest of the tracks coming in at a mere 2:53 however it closes this bombastic four track album in a Hell fire layer of sound.
All in all this album with its air of mystery surrounding the band and the practice of the dark arts within the black circle makes for this band to be a huge contender within the black metal genre and one that has way more integrity and substance behind them than that of most bands of today. This I feel is conveyed not just in cover art, lyrical content or style in which they play, but to what this album does to your soul. I’ve had one other band that’s put me on edge with a release and the mystery that surrounds them and that was Blut Aus Nord and their Album “Mort”. This album along with this release has done just that, its put me right back to the feeling of a real and impending darkness growing over not just ones self but the world. This is the soundtrack to your Endless Fucking Winter.
Dark Hails #Foras #LordOfTheShadows.
Endless Fucking Winter will be released via Death Prayer Records on November 4th