END: "III"

After multiple spins, End’s third album - simply titled as III in the same vein as the previous two - starts to show how diverse the record actually is, despite how gray it sounded in the beginning. The simple black & white cover art nods to a rather basic underground black metal formula, but III is surprisingly detailed and almost progressive. Yeah, I could even mention Opeth here when it comes to certain beats and guitarwork here and there.

So, what is to be expected of III is frenzied, authentic black metal with rather professional and bassy sound, vocals going from high-pitched screams to masculine growls similar to Mikko Aspa, and even some acoustic guitars (”In the Womb of Sick”, ”Ugly and Bygone”) among the distorted ones that are, by the way, played very well. The menacious melodies are played with ease, making the album sound a well-rehearsed totality. The drummer deserves a mention here, too, due to the successfully powerful battering that is groovy  at the same time. A down-side, however, is the fact that the drum sound is somewhat muffled: for example, the snare drum could do better with some more snare mat.

Song-wise, III is at times brilliant: the rather slow and brooding ”Still in Flesh” sends chills down my spine and ”Lavish Gloom” rises nicely to a melancholic climax, for example. But compositional stagnancy is to be found here, too, unfortunately. In spite of all the many ideas that are provided - III is far from being repetitive or anything - there are moments when the riffs simply don’t have enough power (the first half of ”Megalomania”). But no worries, most of the album’s 50 minutes are still worth hearing, keeping the listener enough interested.

I find it hard to name any similar bands, in all honesty. For who I would recommend III? That’s a question I’ve been pondering since listening to the album for the first time. I guess I could throw Si Monumentum era Deathspell Omega here as a reference point, just don’t expect that deeply evil and dissonant music - a more rocking version of it, this could be said to be. Anyhow, III is definitely above an average black metal album, that is for sure. 

3,5 / 5

DARK TRIBE: "Archaic Visions"

The few snippets I’ve heard of Dark Tribe’s previous effort from 2004 (In Jeraspunta...) provided somewhat different sound what the band offers now on their third full-length, Archaic Visions, that has been under work for the last six years. While the second album provided a massive wall of chaotic music with some absurdly weird clean vocals, Archaic Visions seems more stripped down, organic and, well, normal black metal.

Without going further into assumptions what led to this slight change in direction, I can still assure that Archaic Visions is maniacal in its own way. There is something magical in these simple atonal melodies and riffs fired with dominant role in the production - indeed, the guitars are in main role, backed by barbaric drumming. Vocals are plain weird high-pitched screeches and mutterings, fitting to the overall unique atmosphere of Archaic Visions well. At times, for example during ”The Wrath of Our Tribe" and ”I See the Coldness in My Eyes”, I’m reminded of the furiosity of Vordr, and at times the album delves in a lot more wistful, mid-tempo wanderings.

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed an album that really sends chills down my spine and, ladies and gentlemen, here is an album that manages to rise to such enthralling levels of beauty: the sudden melodies full of sorrow on ”Suicide Is the Light” are responsible for it the most but I wouldn’t underestimate the power of e.g. ”Children of Forgotten Times” and ”Desperation” either. By the way, if you are confused by the song titles leaning on suicidal themes, don’t expect any generic Hypothermia clone here, this is far from deserving the DSBM tag. I would categorize this as desperate, demented and archaic black metal, or something along those lines.

There’s some compositional stagnation on the latter half of Archaic Visions - e.g. ”Praying for Salvation” follows the previous tracks’ pattern a tad too closely and ”Endless War” could do better with a shorter running time - but the album still ventures enough deftly to the very end - after all, the insanity captured onto the record is always interesting to hear even if every moment isn’t made of pure gold. If not the best album of the year, close to the top releases anyhow.

4 / 5

GRÄFENSTEIN: "Skull Baptism"

On their third full-length effort, Gräfenstein offer a savage beast of asphyxiating black metal with a subtle taste of thrash and careful use of melody thrown therein too. As far as I’m aware, the musical concept has remained the same thoroughout this German band’s history, so nothing out of the ordinary is to be expected of Skull Baptism, an album that is, however, really convincing in all its relentlessness.

Kicking off the album with ”Essence of Chaos”, it comes clear to the listener that this is indeed really brutal, if that is a fitting word to depict a black metal album that still has that cold, razorsharp sound. As the powerful, fast blast beats accommodate the seas of guitar tremolo and mid-range spews of the vocalist, and this all continues until the very end, Skull Baptism can be said to be a really exhausting album: no kidding, this album feels like someone suffocating you. This has something to do with the production, too, that is really chaotic, all instruments very loud.

Gräfenstein does know how to incorporate some melody to the music, too: ”Halls of Dawn” is a great example of that with its occasional mountainous lead guitar melodies, never forgetting the mercilessness either. The same applies to ”Icon if Sin”, as well, that flirts with surprisingly melodic thrash metal patterns. Through tracks like the aforementioned, it becomes easier to decipher what Skull Baptism is all about and I could not imagine the album without them... Or I could: the mere constant killing would get dull fast.

Skull Baptism took many, many listens to open itself to full glory. The incessant chaos might seem uninviting at first, going from an ear to another, but this is one of those examples of records that I’ve luckily ’had’ to listen to more than just a couple of times for reviewing purposes, and they slowly grow. Some nagging could be directed towards the drum sound as the snare drum sounds quite lifeless, as if it didn’t have a snare mat at all. Otherwise, Skull Baptism works (read: kicks ass) successfully even if the musical style is generally unsurprising.

3,5 / 5

THE ARRIVAL OF SATAN: "Vexing Verses"

The picture on the cover of Vexing Verses, the second full-length of The Arrival of Satan, implies quite successfully what to expect from the album: truly maniacal and schizophrenic underground black metal. It is not uncommon to witness such topics as madness and insanity in black metal - think of the well known Silencer, for example - but luckily this isn’t too crowded area, so that albums like Vexing Verses sound enough refreshing, although one could definitely nod to e.g. Mütiilation’s direction when it comes to influences.

Razor-sharp guitars keep slitting your throat with discordant melodies while the drums set the rhythm and pace for this abominable scenery that lasts for nearly 40 minutes and doesn’t let of its grip until the end. The first few songs are at blasting speeds and signs of slower tempo are not in view until the fourth monster ”Aborted Voices” with its torturous riffs and the mad shrieks and spews of Necropiss - you could think of Azaghal’s Varjoherra to get an overall idea of his vocal output. After the fourth track, there’s some stagnation to be found here compositionally - even if the album possesses that menacing atmosphere throughout - but it all shapes up when the seventh song ”Fascist Whore” (the lyrics are even better) begins. ”She’s Dead” and ”Unworthy” culminate the album in somewhat mournful spirit yet still retaining the insane atmosphere therein.

Vexing Verses can be a vomit-inducing experience in some circumstances (I would avoid this in hangovers) and that could very well be one of the album’s purposes. Those who can endure filthiness in their black metal and even enjoys it at least to some extent, Vexing Verses is recommendable as it does its job very satisfyingly. Speaking of filthiness, don’t expect that so much production-wise: even if the album is raw and rough, this isn’t just mere rehearsal sound material, no, all instruments are nicely audible; all the sickness spawns in the compositions themselves. True masterpiece tracks are, however, missing but the album works well as a full whole. 

 

3 / 5

TSORER: "Return to Sodom"

Hailing from Israel, Tsorer’s debut album Return to Sodom is quite an opposite of anything holy: this is primitive, true old school black metal in the vein of e.g. Hellhammer and old Bathory! Rather minimalistic compositions with very simple song titles (”Again”, ”Gifts”, ”Old”...) and no text whatsoever in the CD covers except the tracklist. This is the way Tsorer attacks, and it attacks with great power indeed.

When listening to the album, I can’t help thinking about Hate Them era Darkthrone - I think the similarity is definitely there in the mid-tempo, demented, menacing riffs, beats and raspy vocals. The songs span from two to seven minutes but the style remains pretty much the same all the way through: really strong songs with focus on the riffs. Indeed, Return to Sodom reminds me again how crushing simple power chord riffs can be! Production-wise, the album is beautifully harsh and underground - how could I not love the guitars on ”Messiah” that almost sound like the amp is about to break down and all hell is loose? Think of a fairly cleaner version of Peste Noire’s 2009 effort and you have a general idea of Return to Sodom’s filthy soundscape.

One really distinct feature on the album is the amount of effects and voices in the background layers: sometimes I wonder what the hell is happening in this house when the sounds are actually coming out of this disc. Occasionally, they seem to be totally out of place - the piano melodies on ”Old”, for example - but it all adds to the absurd, and rather unique - and most importantly, utterly evil and diabolic - atmosphere on the album. So, to condensate: Do not get confused by the ’simple old school black metal’ tag, because there’s a lot more happening in the detailed textures than just the riffs and beats. The sudden reverb effect in the end of ”Sodom” is the only moment when I think it’s not done really tastefully.

Return to Sodom came out of nowhere with its kick-ass riffs and morbid atmosphere, and convinced me. With a debut album of this quality, a lot can be expected from this two-piece act in the future - as long as the listener is not harassed by all the simplicity in riffs and enjoys his/her black metal filthy and evil. 

3,5 / 5

UNHUMAN DISEASE: "Into Satan's Kingdom"

Doom bells reverberate in the nocturnal cemetery where demonic rituals are held. Such is the introduction track to Into Satan’s Kingdom, Unhuman Disease’s fourth full-length - that is actually recorded in 2007 already, before the last year’s Black Creations of Satan - reeking of darkness, death, and, ultimately, Satan worship in the general old school spirit, mixing menacing sounds with a touch of melancholy every now and then, hence reminding me of many Finnish acts. The booklet says thanks to a few bands from the aforementioned country, so I don’t think I’m terribly wrong about this.

The first actual song ”Diabolic Devotion” works already as a blueprint for the rest of the album with its Sargeist esque gloomy atmosphere, drums battering mid-tempo beats, guitars weeping sadness and devilish intention via tremolo, and high-pitched screams proclaiming the same overall atmosphere, just verbally. Sometimes the album ventures to slightly more in-your-face blastbeat moments and at times - prominently, in fact - the approach leans on melancholy - a song like ”Howls of Sorrow” being an ultimate example of this dirge-like style, very reminiscent of e.g. Noenum.

There’s some imbalance between the productions of tracks, resulting in fairly different sound levels between some songs - this is probably because the album was recorded in the span of five months. Luckily the shifting sound levels aren’t too harassing and, actually, hardly noticeable when one becomes absorbed in the music. Speaking of the production, you may already guess that nothing clean and polished is to be expected - this is truly rehearsal-quality, crackly and raw material, but all the necessary is audible.

I remember hearing Unhuman Disease’s first effort earlier this year and can only be happy that the music has clearly evolved from that: while Evil Reigns Supreme was a somewhat loose attempt at Darkthrone esque black metal, Into Satan’s Kingdom is clearly a stronger whole with interesting ideas, yet still retaining a simple approach to old school devil worshipping black metal. The lead melodies towards the end of ”Calling of Satan” are an example of this evolution into a more thoughtful songwriting. I can’t say that Into Satan’s Kingdom is objectively a groundbreaking record - certainly not - but in its category it is a noteworthy album, something that I’m proud to have in my shelves next to the originators of the style, and put it every now and then into the player and enjoy the morbid, raw black metal done with authentic Satanic devotion. 

3.5 / 5