Some may be aware of my fondness towards native (Finnish) black metal, and it’s indeed no underestimation that I consider this country as one of the best places in the world when it comes to these black arts. Still, I’ve somehow missed the whole existence of Kraken Duumvirate - not that the band would have had long and famous history as their only other release dates back to just three years, but when we think of how high quality The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge at least is, it’s a shame I haven’t heard the band before.
Perhaps my unawareness of Kraken Duumvirate’s music derives from their rather experimental approach, compared to my usual taste of rather uncompromising, basic black metal. The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge comprises three tracks of which the bookends ”I Channel” and ”Sacrifice Me” are just brief, passing moments in the shadow of the true centerpiece monolith, self-titled as ”The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge”.
”I Channel” leads the listener through Xasthur esque ambience in which discordant guitar pluckings appear, and soon after the almost dramatic eponymoys monster kicks in. The ambience is, here as well, very detailed and full, and pretty much the whole point of the record, but there is the metal, too: an odd, convulsing and hypnotic plucking pattern is being repeated a lot with a simplistic, programmed drum beat pulsating in lush reverb, and in a rather slow tempo, perhaps nodding to funeral doom’s direction. Around nine minutes, it all dies to minimalistic ambient for a while until it’s time go again with different, though similar, guitar ideas. The vocals are always distant and often whispery, but even the screams seem remote and laden with a ton of mysteriousness. ”Sacrifice Me” continues in the same vein as its predecessor but with somewhat more grandiose lead melody work.
A careful look into the lyrical side of the EP reveals intricate writing skills on topic of, I suppose, universal creation through destruction: the rise of a higher level of existence from the ashes of the inferior material plane. All occultists, take note of the interesting inclusion of Neptune’s principle here. But I am not going to dwell any further into this subject: the lyrics are still in the process of opening for me.
While the actual metal content on The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge might not blow anyone’s mind (although it’s still tastefully done, trance-inducing menace), it’s the fusion of brilliant atmosphere and lyrical splendour that makes the EP a definite worthwile effort. I am not sure how much someone can get out of this if his/her interest resides solely in metal instrumentation and proper song structures, but at least for yours truly, The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge is a very welcome discovery amongst all the masses of nonsense music.
Perhaps my unawareness of Kraken Duumvirate’s music derives from their rather experimental approach, compared to my usual taste of rather uncompromising, basic black metal. The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge comprises three tracks of which the bookends ”I Channel” and ”Sacrifice Me” are just brief, passing moments in the shadow of the true centerpiece monolith, self-titled as ”The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge”.
”I Channel” leads the listener through Xasthur esque ambience in which discordant guitar pluckings appear, and soon after the almost dramatic eponymoys monster kicks in. The ambience is, here as well, very detailed and full, and pretty much the whole point of the record, but there is the metal, too: an odd, convulsing and hypnotic plucking pattern is being repeated a lot with a simplistic, programmed drum beat pulsating in lush reverb, and in a rather slow tempo, perhaps nodding to funeral doom’s direction. Around nine minutes, it all dies to minimalistic ambient for a while until it’s time go again with different, though similar, guitar ideas. The vocals are always distant and often whispery, but even the screams seem remote and laden with a ton of mysteriousness. ”Sacrifice Me” continues in the same vein as its predecessor but with somewhat more grandiose lead melody work.
A careful look into the lyrical side of the EP reveals intricate writing skills on topic of, I suppose, universal creation through destruction: the rise of a higher level of existence from the ashes of the inferior material plane. All occultists, take note of the interesting inclusion of Neptune’s principle here. But I am not going to dwell any further into this subject: the lyrics are still in the process of opening for me.
While the actual metal content on The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge might not blow anyone’s mind (although it’s still tastefully done, trance-inducing menace), it’s the fusion of brilliant atmosphere and lyrical splendour that makes the EP a definite worthwile effort. I am not sure how much someone can get out of this if his/her interest resides solely in metal instrumentation and proper song structures, but at least for yours truly, The Astroglyphs of the Ritual of Deluge is a very welcome discovery amongst all the masses of nonsense music.
4 / 5
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