BLOOD RED FOG: "Death Cult I"

Blood Red Fog is an interesting case in the assortment of Finnish black metal. Since their debut appearance on the 2005 demo tape, the band has been churning out new material steadily throughout the years, mostly on short-length releases like splits and EPs, and I've had the pleasure to follow their career since the massive eponymous opus from 2006. So, in spite of their constant delivery of nothing but quality, and various live appearances even outside the homeland, you don't see many people talking about the band. Maybe the reasons reside somewhere in the fact that Blood Red Fog is definitely not reinventing the wheel, but damn, how someone can still overlook these golden riffs?

For some references in regard to their sound, you can think of their country colleagues Cosmic Church, Funerary Bell and the likes that deliver filthy and melancholic black metal with plenty of authentic philosophy behind the mere sound. However, while the aforementioned bands focus on the Great Work from different angles (i.e. a rather romantic reverence of Satan and one that contains elements of horror, respectively), Blood Red Fog is all about death and decay – the process of mortification. This becomes even clearer on their two-part minialbums of which the first one, Death Cult I, is now in scrutiny. First of all, tape format suits the scruffy sounding, almost rehearsal-like black metal perfectly. The guitars screech and wail just like they're supposed to in raw black metal. As a good example, just listen to the violent feedback on ”Pendulum”, or even just the folky melodic touch of the intro. Or the ominous flow of riffs on ”With Open Arms” that truly immerse the listener.

It's not always easy to say what makes a rather traditional underground black metal release better than some other, but the fact is that Death Cult I stands above many in the field. B.R.F.'s ingenious sense of riffs and melodies is very much in presence here, and when it's combined with the lovely soundscape of the tape, I can't find much to complain about. Also, I can't end a Blood Red Fog review without mentioning the vocals that I regard the country's best along with Wyrmfang and Antti Klemi: these semi-harsh howls reek of utter death and unholiness. The tape is getting sold out by now and if you are too late, look out for these if they get reissued some time in the future. Not into the black metal that Finland tends to spew forth? Then there's nothing for you to see here.

4.5 / 5