1.) By The Shadows Of The Broken Stone Cross. 3:49
2.) Total Satanic Supremacy. 4:18
3.) Spirits Flock. 4:50
4.) Vessel To The Pit. 4:53
5.) Burnt Bible Black. 2:37
6.) Clergy Of The Abyss. 5:05
7.) Treasures Of The Desperate. 3:38
8.) Starve Yourself. 5:01
9.) On Ancient Burrows We Summon The Devil. 4:22
Once again we return to the Pembrokeshire valleys but its not the scenery we are here to take in but the more sinister and shadowing entity known as Ogof. Taking their name from some of the longest and oldest caves (the Ogof Marros) in this part of the hemisphere. These dark and eerie caves have been part of history and landscape of the Welsh lore. This band are once again part of the Pembrokeshire Black Circle, a group of individuals that are steeped in as much mystery as the history and the music and rituals they perform.
Having got as much research as humanly possible on this band and believe you me it was not easy. We shall dive in to their upcoming release ” A True Case Of Evil”.
As we start its easy to see that this is another Raw Black Metal release and one that literally takes you back further back in time. To more of the very first wave of the genre. We are talking more along the lines of Hellhammer’s 1983 release of “Triumph of Death”. This becomes very evident not just from the vocal style but even more to the dissonant and very Punk sound of the song structures and low production value of their release. Now I know their are other acts doing similar nostalgic releases based around the aforementioned band above, but this has a more deep rooted feeling to it.
This feels less like a tribute album but more of a direct and purposeful direction that the band appear to take. All of this backed by their mysterious nature. Their Satanic beliefs and practices just makes for a truly different feel to the whole album. This is 100% not your average B/M release their is no obvious blast beats, or icy tremolo picked parts. On every track there are synth elements that keep a eerie yet subdued back drop to their tracks. The drumming on each and every track is sporadic with tiny little fills and little jazz like licks. The guitars are both full on overdrive and the definitely distorted beyond belief. This truly takes me back to hearing the early years of black metal the low fi sound everything mixed as poorly as possible to create what Varg called in one interview “that Necro sound”. This is a grungier release though its even almost so punk it practically harks back to G.G. Allin releases the level of catharthasism within the style of playing of the instruments and the vocal work, but these demonic screams and howls on this just make you feel that touch more uneasy.
Everything from the timing within the drumming to even the length of the songs it all falls within the above mentioned genres. Yet this all still has the fine ability to kick the ass of certain releases coming out within the same time frame. Is this because of the courage and the conviction of the entity/s creating this? Or is it because we truly feel that other bands have shot so wide of the mark when creating, that they have left a gap within the market?
All in all whilst yes the production isn’t there, its not a polished raw black metal sound. This really is as stripped back and as raw as possible and the biggest fuck you to all those aspiring to try and create something as truly hateful as this. Is it that some of the biggest names are falling so short on their efforts? I’m not gonna lie the bands the musicians involved within this very close black circle are making the most horrific hateful black metal possible and their doing it without the aid of shouting. They are doing it behind the scene’s in the depths of night, under the guise of who knows what. However I will say they are doing it bigger, better than when the second wave Norwegian scene came about and that is a tall statement. Ogof have truly sculpted one of the most eagerly anticipated albums of this year in my opinion. Between this and Crymych’s release this Pembrokeshire
Black Circle are going to dominate and rip apart all your preconceived notions of what true black metal actually is.
Dark Hails #Foras #LordOfTheShadows.
A True Case Of Evil is out November 4th via Death Prayer Records