TODESWEIHE: "The Black Mass"

Without additional clues, it would sometimes be hard to place a raw, uncompromising black metal recording to a certain time slot of history. Todesweihe made that clear on 2011's demo compilation Necronomicon Ex Mortis which was a filthy feast on ideas formed twenty years earlier already. While that CD comprised material from the band's past eight years, you can't really tell any difference in sound if we compare it to this year's material presented on the six-track The Black Mass. 'No evolution whatsoever' seems to have been the band's driving force throughout their journey in the underground, and although it is very acceptable (and enjoyable), there are limits to how much one can stand listening to the riffs that have been basically the same since Darkthrone launched them in the early nineties.

So although the settings for The Black Mass are unfavourable, I was able to listen to it very carefully. This was probably because I've lately had a partial break from listening to basically anything, so keeping a focus on any music at all was easier than it tends to be after scrolling through a million albums a week. But what I essentially found from this EP was very simple, very primitive black metal that is cold, rehearsal sounding, and evil. This isn't exactly crammed with blast beats; Todesweihe here prefers a groovier direction in the vein of those masculine, mid-paced, rusty and partially palm-muted riffs of Clandestine Blaze. This is put to its best use on ”Buried and Forgotten” that during its last section incorporates a screeching lead melody on top of the grumbling war.

Pieces like that do their work admirably, but in the end, The Black Mass is just a rather forgettable snack of underground black metal. Personally there's no way of me hating it, but neither does it leave a lasting impression. Also, when a band releases a short EP, I don't understand why there has to be over two minute intros and outros, eating a lot of the overall playing time. And these are among the reasons why I'd choose some other release over this one, no matter how decent this is in the background.

3 / 5

BEHEXEN: "Nightside Emanations"

I don't think it's lying to say that Behexen's upcoming fourth full-length Nightside Emanations is the most expected black metal album to come out of Finland this year. The hype surrounding the band is well deserved when we take a look at the band's back-catalogue which includes e.g. the harsh yet magnificent By the Blessing of Satan and the more sophisticated yet not less evil My Soul for His Glory. Behexen hasn't derived from their four-year policy between albums even this time around, and now it's finally time to see what they're up to in 2012, after a full line-up change in the melody (guitar) department.

It is to be remembered, though, that most of the songwriting is still done by the drummer Horns (as far as I'm aware) who's been in the band since its formation in 1996, and that is probably the warm reason for Nightside Emanations still sounding Behexen and not just another band of Shatraug's, for example. Those influences aside, there's plenty of other kinds of influences in here to my hearing: most notably, I believe that the Swedish religious black metal phenomenom has given its contribution to a couple of tracks here. For instance, ”Death's Black Light” is a full-on headbanger that could've belonged to Watain's song arsenal, and most of the other tracks have a certain kind of vibe coming from that style as well. Luckily it's mostly just latent, and even more luckily we have such utterly possessed and devotion reeking manifestos in the very Behexen vein as ”Circle Me” which can't leave the listener cold.

”We Burn With Serpent Fire” makes sure there's some epic soundscapes incorporating solos, while ”Luciferian Will” rumbles in a confusing maze of palm-muted riffing and ”Temple of Silent Curses” proclaims messages of Satan in a robust, clean vocal performance. In a nutshell, there's a lot to discover in these nine hymns of the devil. But Behexen is in the bad situation of having three great albums in their history already, so truly impressing the band's fan isn't easy: that's why e.g. I'm constantly comparing this to the older albums, and hence must say that at least for now, this one doesn't beat the previous two.

Of course, Nightside Emanations can be a real grower, but the things that faintly bug me here are (a) the rather polished sound which makes e.g. the drums reverb in a somewhat unrealistic way, and (b) the feeling I've got that Behexen has lost a part of their identity to a certain kind of 'religious black metal' spirit. Nonetheless, if only I wasn't biased by my fondness of the older material, Nightside Emanations would be truly great. Another thing that might lower the score for now is that there's no lyrics provided within the promo, nor artwork. For a band with strong message, things like that can be very important, so when I eventually get Nightside Emanations to my hands in physical format, and when I get to play it with the lyrics, I could see this turning to full four points - and that would be the minimum.

3.5 / 5

BLOOD RED FOG: "Harvest"

It must have been a relieving year for Blood Red Fog for finally getting some 'older' material out of the queue, first in the name of the doublet Death Cult I and II, and a couple of months later the long-awaited follow-up to 2006's debut album got released as well. After some long delays (most of this album was put down in 2007 already), Harvest is here to summon nothing but atmospheres of inevitable death, and the very reverence of that.

Compared to the tapes earlier this year, Harvest introduces a little more cleaned up sound. There's nothing fancy to it though, as instead of some indiscernible mess, the production here sounds very natural yet crisp, being the opposite of any studio trickery. They've balanced it well, so that it's not a modern loudness war disco nor the resemblance of a hissing underground demo. You can hear every punishing note of the plucking guitar, and the otherworldly vocal performance of BRF reaches the listener better than ever.

What comes to the four long, individual songs here, I tend to think that Harvest is knowingly cut into A and B sides (the back cover hints that too, in expectations of a vinyl version, I hope): ”Harvest” and ”Return” begin the album in a slightly faster manner, firing sweet guitar lines after another in the very Blood Red Fog fashion the band is known for: melancholic torture fluctuating between tremolo and slower parts. Typical of the band, there's a lot of repetition within songs, and this is even more apparent here as every song reaches the 10 minute mark. But during the course of the album you don't really notice it: at least I realize it only if I try to analyze and memorize every part of the album. But that's not what you're really supposed to do anyways.

”The Prison” and ”The Abyss” take the atmosphere to even broodier landscapes, and in my opinion this is where the album does its magic the best. The pace is slowed down to a doomy level, and a crucial feature on both tracks is the appearance of Shu-Ananda on clean vocals: on ”The Prison” he handles an epic chorus and on ”The Abyss” he is responsible for all the vocals, concluding in the last two minutes to shivering levels of greatness. In all honesty, this must be one of the best moments I've heard in Finnish black metal in a while. It's where intensity and emotionality collide in a ritualistic chant in the very best possible way.

”That voice belongs to Satan
The quiet master of my soul

In his footsteps I pass

Into the watery graves”

In the light of the last two tracks, the first two do pale a little, but all in all what we have here is a successful album that's been the soundtrack to my life for the last month. Along with just a couple of other releases, it's the only black metal I've listened to in a while. An all-encompassing dose to satisfy my needs of black metal? Apparently, for now. If you care at all about Finnish black metal, I wouldn't hesitate getting your hands on Harvest which showcases how it's done pretty damn admirably.

4 / 5