VASTUM SILENTIUM: "Time Will Come, and Everything Will Be Passed"

Symphonic heathen black metal has always been Ukraine’s thing, and Vastum Silentium’s debut album Time Will Come, and Everything Will Be Passed is another addition to the long list of Eastern European black / folk albums, implementing a healthy amount of acoustic and synth melody into the harsh blasting.

As soon as the first proper song ”Warriors of Darkness” kicks in, a tight thrash metal riffage meets the listener, not quite what one would have first expected of the album. It’s not until the next offering ”On the Day of My Triumph!” when the melodic black metal truly enters the picture, where tremolo guitars and synths fluctuate while drums batter steadily, the rather usual raspy screams are delivered, and also the acoustic guitar appears for a while. ”Silentium” could be said to be the album’s centerpiece due to its adventurous song structure, going through many interesting breakdown passages during its over 8-minute course.

”My Heart, My Blood”, a Whites Load cover, starts with a bombastic atmosphere and a nice bass guitar pattern, later bursting into more active folk metal, not unlike the next original piece ”With Wrath in Our Hearts, With Fury in Our Eyes! ”. The short ”En Arving Av Svargardr” ends the album with melancholic riffing very similar to Drudkh, one of my favourite pieces of the album as well.

Time Will Come’s main strength is the nicely varying song material, as there’s certainly no moment when the album would really repeat itself. In spite of being their debut, the members of Vastum Silentium handle their instruments professionally. The production, however, could do better: right now it sounds as if they had tried to get a bright and polished sound but the result is quite loose and unbalanced, though not to a harassing extent. It’s clear that Time Will Come, and Everything Will Be Passed is done quite thoughtfully, including a lot of interesting material (even if it doesn’t rise to truly remarkable levels), hence deserving a positive rating.

3 / 5

BODYFARM: "Bodyfarm"

On their eponymoys debut EP, initially self-released last year but now reissued by Abyss Records, Bodyfarm explores the territories of simple old school death metal, though luckily the material doesn’t fall to any exact geographical location musically, at least not too evidently - I think that pretty much everything is melted together here (with perhaps a slight dominance of the Swedish underground), forming an enjoyable but definitely unsurprising little album.

In spite of being their first release, the band sounds really mature: not only the production is bright and massive, but the execution of instruments seems flawless in all departments. Song-wise, the EP starts with a rather unnecessary and pompous symphonic intro that already takes a nice amount of the EP’s running time, but after that ”Bodyfarm” attacks with menacing tremolo riffs and blast beats not unlike Bloodbath - the similar style is later utilized on ”Heartraped”. ”Final Redemption” and ”Slaves of War” then, on the other hand, focus on slower tempo, chugging riffs and morbid atmosphere, belonging to my personal favourites of the whole.

Bodyfarm is ultimately rooted in old school values without going any further in innovation. What they batter here is well done and engaging but it also feels like a brief teaser of what’s to come, that’s what I hope at least. Thus said, Bodyfarm doesn’t seem to be in its full glory here on a short EP release with mere four tracks, but perhaps I’m able to capture a better picture of the group when a full-length arrives.

2.5 / 5

KRIEGSHETZER: "Panzer Vorwärts"

Pure relentless war is a good way to describe Kriegshetzer’s debut album Panzer Vorwärts, and is there really any need to analyze assaults like these any further? Perhaps a few additional words are in place, but if you already know that you want variation and calmful melodies in your black metal, there’s no reason to continue reading.

The paradigm is simple: a load of fast-paced blast beats, swift and piercing tremolo riffs and masculine screams. The instruments are executed with rather precise touch and timing which makes the music sound fittingly sharp and militant. In addition to the overall belligerent atmosphere, there are also some latent tendencies towards melancholic melody, such as in the main riff of ”Hohe Nacht der klaren Sterne” even if it’s only for a couple of seconds. One of my personal favourites off the album is the adventurous ”Mutspruch” which showcases the band’s ability to create such twirling and damn engaging riffs in insane tempos - not that this particular track is the only one of its kind.

Usually, I’m bored to death when it comes to prolonged albums where hateful riffs are played incessantly without the slightest change of compromise. This is why it comes as a surprise how well Panzer Vorwärts and its not-that-unique Eastern European black metal chord progressions retain my interest throughout, even if I would have still removed a song or two from this 48-minute entity. The production, natural sounding and hence far away from a modern overcompressed turd, is also a partial reason why Panzer Vorwärts is an endurable record. For obvious reasons, this album is not for everyone, but for those who seek for simple violence from their black metal, Panzer Vorwärts is a recommendable album.

3 / 5

INFESTUS: "Ex | Ist"

One-man black metal projects rarely showcase as qualified handling of instruments as Infestus does here on his third full-length Ex ‏| Ist, a majestic opus of atmospheric black metal executed in a bright, massive soundscape, thematically revolving around inner turmoil which is successfully put to practice in these long compositions where desperation meets anger. This all forms a very professional sounding and endurable whole though the album does have its flaws as well.‏‏‏

The instrumental ”Akoasma” begins the journey, shifting from double bass frenzies to portentous acoustic guitars and solos, following closely the footsteps of Shining. Next up is ”Down Spiral Personification” which is more evidently black metal but with a good dose of fitting melody therein, making it a highlight of the album. ”Darkness Blazing the Flame of Fire” crawls with moderate speed and murky riffs until it explodes to blast beats and vicious tremolo riffs like the track before it, the same applying to ”Mirror Mind Reality” and basically the rest of the album. That is not to say that the songs repeat themselves, no, every track here incorporates multiple interesting sections within their long playing times, ensuring wholly enjoyable rides through varying tempos and moods.

During the last two pieces, ”Der Blick Hinaus” and ”Descend Direction Void”, a plenty of acoustic sections are added to the middle of the metal, working exceptionally well on the latter, doom-driven song that ends the album with reverb-laden repeated acoustic pattern. Not to be forgotten, either, is the album’s short centerpiece ”Torn Obsever” which is filled with pulsating rhythms and melodies reeking of dissonant evil.

Not all riffs on the long course of Ex | Ist truly stand out with splendor, but when looking at the big picture, there’s no way calling the album a failed attempt at proper black metal darkness. Once again it must be stated that it’s impressive how good sounding whole has mere one man created here - it’s apparent that this album has been a long time in the making. A recommended album if you’re into not-that-traditional black metal and seek for fresher ideas and good productions sound-wise.

3.5 / 5

THE AXIS OF PERDITION: "Tenements (of the Anointed Flesh)"

Going back to the first half of the 2000s, the abominant The Axis of Perdition was already churning out impressive industrialized black metal horror, not unlike Atrium Carceri’s ambience and Blut Aus Nord’s twisted metal, and I remember enjoying Physical Illucinations in the Sewer of Xuchilbara (The Red God) and Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital to a great extent. Keeping this in mind, the group’s newest offering Tenements (of the Anointed Flesh) is unfortunately not quite as captivating release, lacking in some crucial aspects such as truly haunting compositions and a fitting sound.

After the brief introduction, ”Unveiled” kicks in with the programmed drums that, even though appearing on a heavily industrial album, seem somewhat amateurish, the sterile hammering not working for the atmosphere’s good at all. However, the overall atmosphere is fittingly hysterical, a thousand voices echoing all around the soundscape, guitars firing rapid and seemingly incoherent discordance, albeit the chord progressions are almost never remarkable. Vocals are the weakest link of the line-up: while for the most part they are decent raspy screams - though sometimes the forced semi-clean vocals (”Unveiled”, ”The Flesh Spiral”) sound like they’d better belong to an insipid nu-metal group from yesteryears, lacking strength and any seriousness that an album of this kind would need - there’s really nothing mysterious about the vocal output.

The humming ambient interlude ”Dark Red Other” is the first proper breathing moment after an exhausting four-song combo of constant chaos. After that, the same feast on dissonant melodies continue until ”Ordained” begins, a 180 degree turn from the material before it, starting with epic synths and then bursting into impressive melancholic black metal with twirling melodies and only slight elements of the convulsing metal that Tenements otherwise provides. This song is a definite highlight of the album, a heard-rending piece combining despair and sickness, sung in clean vocals, and it makes me wish the 60-minute whole had more of this style.

I hate to say it, but all in all Tenements (of the Anointed Flesh) leaves a slightly negative taste, mostly because the music doesn’t quite deliver the frightening elements of their early material; instead, it all sounds a little common, already heard on various other black metal albums. Having only one truly great song, I must settle to an okay rating. Without that one particular track, take the half star off.

2.5 / 5

AOSOTH: "III"

All black metal groups out there trying to achieve truly morbid and abyssal sound: take heed of this album. Aosoth’s third full-length, simply titled as III, is probably the sickest sounding album I’ve heard in a long while, hands down. And this comes as no surprise really, knowing the band’s strong line-up relations with another French war machine Antaeus, so to depict III with an example, think of Blood Libels with even deeper and more droning guitar sound.

Compositionally, Aosoth delivers brilliance as well. The utterly profound and massive production works as a fitting base for the six evil pieces of black metal where tempos shift from slow menace to faster chaos. One guitar handles downtuned rhythms while another provides high-pitched discordance similar to Nightbringer, this seems to be the general structure throughout the album. The monstrous growls are handled convincingly as is the precise drumwork, battering the hell out of anything on its way.

Between the metal, brief moments of ambience appear (the beginning of ”III” having even an interesting piano pattern), providing quieter moments that are welcome due to the album’s heavy volume. And the volume is damn heavy indeed, just put a song from III to an audio editor and see how the album is master-wise pure loudness war. This is a little minus as the audio suffers from being forcedly loud, hence clipping a lot, but then again, it also works for the album’s chaotic nature.

I’m not familiar with Aosoth’s back catalogue (shame on me) so I don’t know how this compares to the band’s earlier output, but at least on its own III is one highlight of 2011’s first half, providing unresistable filth to my now-aching ears. Thus said, III is indeed a recommendable album to look into, and one of those reasons of writing reviews: to give publicity to albums that really deserve it.

4 / 5

DEMONICAL: "Death Infernal"

Buzzing and sawing guitars, death reeking growls, morbid atmosphere  - yep, pure old school Swedish death metal is once again the name of the game, this time on Demonical’s third full-length offering Death Infernal which doesn’t truly surprise with its music, but since when has that been the point? The album simply showcases how brutal, coffin-like death metal is supposed to be spewed and it’s up to the listener if that’s enough for his musical preferences.

Actually I lie a little when I say that there’s no surprises here. For the most part, as tracks on the first half like the savage ”Ravenous” and the mid-tempo ”Return in Flesh” imply, Demonical stays true to its Entombed influences, but as soon as the seventh song ”All Will Perish (The Final Liberation)" begins, one can notice the evident melodic death metal elements of Amon Amarth, and this continues throughout the last tracks ”Slain Warriors” and ”Darkness Awaits”. The two additional bonus songs retain the same melodic inclination, including the Emperor cover ”Night of the Graveless Souls”.

Delving deeper into the compositions, it must be admitted by everyone that Demonical does know how to craft captivating death metal pieces. This becomes clear right on the first track ”The Arrival of Armageddon” that goes up and down the fretboard with ingenious riffs and on ”Black Inferno” where Bloodbath esque malicious melodies appear in front of the distorted low-pitch instrumentation. Some stagnation is to be found from the album as well but nothing totally fatal that would make the listening experience an annoyance in any way.

Despite that the occasional melodic death elements are somewhat refreshing to hear on an album of this sort, I find those tracks to be the album’s weakest links, as Death Infernal seems to be at its best during the most brutal assaults. To conclude my nagging, the production could be a bit filthier as there’s slight sterileness in the sound, so that it’s not quite like the dirty eponymoys Interment album, for instance. In the end, Death Infernal leaves a positive taste, and is definitely recommendable for the lovers of the genre, and I mean those who still can endure the similar ideas initiated in the early 90s already.

3 / 5