REVIEW DRAFT - The North

Going to try and blast through these picks to catch up, I've been slacking on the Metal Academy part of my schedule as other stuff has piled up. Hopefully some of these will turn into full reviews one day? 

Old Man's Child

I wasn't aware of this band before choosing this album, but I was pretty surprised to hear a really solid Melodic Black Metal album that is more of an all-rounder compared to the fantastical or medieval styles most other second-wave bands adopted at the time. I really enjoyed this one on the whole, it has a ton of great riff ideas that bounce between normal Black Metal fare and more interlude-y stuff like "Wounds From the Night of Magic". Acoustic guitar and symphonic synths and choir are mostly used to give it that melodic edge and even though the vocals ruin some of the moments, like on "On Through the Desert Storm", I'm a big fan of this. I'm wondering if this got remastered for Spotify, as some reviews were complaining about the lo-fi production and not being able to hear certain parts, which is a problem I never ran into. The production on whatever this version is sounds much more modern, not thin at all, and overall loud, so I'd be interested to see if I can track down the original recording if this is, in fact, some sort of remaster. The songwriting feels a bit simplistic though, so I'm wondering if it'll lose its luster over multiple listens, but for now this one sits comfortably in the higher tier of 1990's Black Metal for me due to my bias.

4/5

A Light In The Dark

This was a pretty dull and boring Blackgaze album that is way more "-gaze" than it is Black Metal. I don't have the best ear for genres but I'd say this is more Post-Metal/Rock than anything, apart from the vocals and the occasional and more aggressive tremolo riff. That being said it's very pretty; it definitely lives up to its album cover of transporting the listener to a reflective, grassy hill at midnight overlooking the sparkling city skyline, but that doesn't keep it from mostly being a snooze-fest. The electronic additions can be neat, but they don't really elevate it all that much. Won't be coming back to this one. 

2.5/5 

It looks like Ben is third up so I'll edit this with my pick after he goes. 

Sorry for the delayed pick here. I thought I'd already done it for some reason.

I'll go with the Varathron album, as I've not heard it previously.

Varathron - Patriarchs of Evil (2018)

My only previous experience with Greek band Varathron, prior to selecting Patriarchs of Evil for the latest North Review Draft, was their debut album His Majesty at the Swamp from 1993. I recall enjoying that release, but found it difficult to get past just how similar it was to the work of their countrymates Rotting Christ. It utilised the same palm muted riffing technique and had very similar melodic tones. It also had a similarly weak production, so it's not surprising that I gave the debuts from both bands the same score (3.5 stars).

When listening to the band's most recent effort (their sixth full length album), it quickly became apparent that the production is vastly improved. However, apart from this clean, modern sound, very little has changed in the 25 years since the aforementioned debut. If anything, I think this album sounds ever more like Rotting Christ than the band did previously, which is some effort. There are a few blastbeat sections, which I don't recall being present on the debut, but otherwise it utlises the same techniques and song structures that you'd expect from a Hellenic black metal band. I can't deny that the songwriting is decent, and the eight tracks have enough variety to them to keep me interested throughout. At the end of the day, this album brings nothing fresh or particularly creative, but it's solid and entertaining enough to get the same 3.5 star score.

If you want to check a couple of tracks out, I'd recommend Into the Absurd or the closing epic Ouroboros Dweller (The Dweller of Barathrum).

3.5 stars

Zemial - In Monumentum (2006)

I was virtually unaware of Zemial prior to this, other than seeing the name occasionally. Quick research shows them to be a one-man outfit from Athens, or maybe not, it's hard to tell. The main man is multi-instrumentalist Archon Vorskaath, who seems over the years to have involved a number of others in the project, including his brother, Eskarth the Dark One. The brothers are also sole members of melodic black metal act, Agatus and look to have moved around a fair bit, moving from their native Athens to Adelaide, then to Germany, back to Athens and now the UK! Coincidentally, Archon Vorskaath was also guitarist with fellow February Draft nominees Varathron for a time.

Despite forming in 1989, 2006's In Monumentum is actually Zemial's debut full-length, although they had put out a number of EPs in the preceeding years. It consists of medium-paced thrash with blackened vocals in the main, that is kind-of familiar within Greek black metal circles, but which never really grabbed or particularly convinced me. The production is kind of muted and the addition of occasional keyoards just seems to muddy things up even more, but most importantly the tracks seem to lack fire and feel terribly pedestrian to my ears. I like to hear black metal bands sound like they mean it, whether they are spewing vitriol at organised religion or praising the majesty of the natural world, but this feels like it lacks passion and dynamism.

My favourite track here is the closer, In Monumentum / Stone of the Ages, which isn't black metal at all, but is an epic, almost progressive, heavy metal track with clean vocals and here the band feel more interested in the material than in the previous half-an-hour's blackened thrash - and therein lies the issue with the album for me.

Not terrible, but an unconvinced 3/5 for me.

Gnaw Their Tongues - I Speak the Truth, Yet With Every Word Uttered, Thousands Die (2020)

Largely unfamiliar to me as a sub-genre, my introduction into the world of black noise has been as intriguing as it was unplanned. Worth mentioning that for a period - some 10 or so years ago I guess - I went on a bit of a noise listening spree, so the concept of the style is not lost on me by any means. As an advocate of growing yourself only by stepping outside of your comfort zone, I have no qualms about picking up news sounds and experiences in metal whatsoever, notwithstanding that there is some complete and utter shit out there of course. Gnaw Their Tongues is not complete and utter shit is the headline here. It has a unique place that it inhabits but as with all good artists that standout from the mainstream, this niche-listening market thrives on being esoteric.

Joking aside, I get the "who is going to be brave enough to take on the Gnaw Their Tongues review" comment. This is not an easy listen and it is not supposed to be. Likewise, it is not necessarily an easy experience to explain in a review (the truth is that if you do not listen to this record, my words will not be sufficient a description to truly do justice to the experience). The best way I can summarise the listen throughs I have done is to pick up on a description that I gave to my wife when she asked me why I listen to such "horrible" (sic) music. I have listened to a lot of music in my life. From pop to dance music, classical to jazz, country to metal, etc, etc. All have shared a common appeal to me at various points in my life. The act of someone (or a collective group of people) baring their soul, emotions and most candid thoughts or beliefs via the medium of music is why I spend so much time listening to music. The further away from accepted norms or risk an artist is willing to push themselves then the more likely they are to pique my interest. Step way from conventional song writing and structures (which most definitely have their place) and I am instantly intrigued. Gnaw Their Tongues therefore ticks the boxes aplenty.

In terms of a rating, as much as I can relate to this record and style of music, it is a victim of its own marginalisation. I do not see this being ever more than background music for me. It is far too chaotic to ever be a sit down listen with all other distractions removed experience. My brain simply would not be able to entertain that. Like I said above, this inhabits a unique place, but I don't need to pay attention to the detail for it to fulfil its potential.

3.5/5

Time for another Review Draft for The North. This month's pick order will be as follows...

1. Xephyr

2. Sonny

3. Vinny

4. Ben

The six releases to select from are... (drumroll)...

Xephyr gets first pick this month...

I'm not sure we're going to hear from Xephyr this month. He did post that he was unlikely to be involved in the drafts, so let's push ahead.

You're up Sonny!

The easy answer would be Bathory, but I am going to take the Zarathustra album as I have never heard of them before.

Over to you, Vinny.

Let's see.  I know that Antediluvian release already and like Sonny will shy away from Bathory.  I will take Deadlife - a fifteen minute, single track EP looks appealing enough alongside my similar choice in The Horde this month. 

Two folk/pagan metal bands, a blackened death metal/horror release and Bathory left.

Over to you Ben.

Deadlife - Between Hatred & Melancholy (2018)

Prolific artist, Anders Nord is the driving force behind Hermóðr (atmospheric black metal) and Mist (another depressive black metal outfit) as well as Deadlife. With nine full-lengths, twenty-two Ep's and nine splits in twelve years, he's a busy chap (his output with his other two bands is equally exhausting). As such, I would expect a fifteen-minute single length track to perhaps sound a little tired. In fact the exact opposite is true, considering this is depressive black metal it feels more positive than I would first imagine it should.

Elements of atmospheric bm seep into Between Hatred & Melancholy almost organically. Without getting all sweeping and whooshing, the tension it builds does serve the depressive tag reasonably well at the end of the day but there is an ever present uplifting element to a song that has such a negative title. It is like the basic elements of Coldworld blended with the lusher parts of Drudkh on Autumn Eternal or Forgotten Legends. There is no sense of let down with this Ep though, desite it not being what I first thought it is well arranged as a single track and holds my interest well enough for the duration.

It is a great accompaniment on a long walk out I discovered today but is equally just at home being played in my lair at home. Relying on whispered, ghastly vocals in the main, the track does allow some more calming chant-like accompaniments in towards the final third of the track. Although it varies little in terms of the instrumentation, this repetition works well alongside the aforementioned atmosphere and the track feels like it has a real depth to it overall. I am unlikely to visit it often but it was a neat discovery off the back of the Review Draft this month.

3.5/5

Somehow I failed to select a release for The North! I'll go with the Vorna album. Never heard them, and I don't mind a bit of melodic black metal. That said, I don't always get on with Finnish black metal. Time will tell!

Zarathustra - In Hora Mortis (2006)

Zarathustra are unfamiliar to me and, judging by the lack of a single rating for any of their albums, to everyone else here on Metal Academy. Well, they are a German black metal band who formed in 1996, releasing three albums between 2000 and 2006, In Hora Mortis being the last one to date. The band still officially exist, albeit having been on hold for a while and drummer Mersus, who was skinsman for Deströyer 666 for a decade, is the only original member still in the band.

My first playthrough was whilst out dog-walking during an early spring snow flurry and In Hora Mortis made for a very apt companion on that trip as it has a frostbitten edge to it that was very much enhanced by the billowing white stuff falling from those Northern Skies. Zarathustra play quite fundamental second-wave black metal and fans of bands like Immortal should feel right at home with In Hora Mortis. Most of the tracks are medium paced with occasional blasting sections, similarly to Immortal, and they have enough melody to them to make each track memorable in it's own right and to stop the album sounding samey and forgettable. Producing actual "songs" seems to have gone out of fashion a bit in black metal circles, but rather, a huge amount of bands strive to produce "pieces" that lean heavily on dissonance and avant-garde stylings, Zarathustra, however, most definitely do not fall into that category, they still understand the benefits of a well-crafted song that can be recalled after the disc has finished playing and that makes the listener want to bang their head and pummell the air with their fists! They have crafted some fine black metal riffs here with some tasty lead work, the rhythm section is strong, Mersus providing a decent approximation of an artillery battery on overdrive with his skinwork. Vocalist Hurricane (Dennis Freiberger) has an abrasive harsh bark that suits the tracks very well and sounds suitably evil whilst still being clear enough to understand the lyrics. All the songs are strong, but there is a brace of tracks in the middle of the album, Salvation from Being and Crown of Creation that could blow the balls off a charging mammoth at forty paces!

I guess In Hora Mortis is one of those albums that often gets short shrift from a large percentage of metalheads simply for geing "generic", despite the fact that this is actually a very good slab of no-frills early second-wave worship. Personally I am very happy to have crossed path with this terrific chunk of horns-in-the-air, unpretentious black metal goodness and once more the review draft seems to have come up trumps for me. I will definitely be looking into these guys further.

(Strong)4/5

Vorna - Sateet palata saavat (2019)

This is my first experience with Vorna and I must admit it has taken a bit of time to appreciate. While I don't think there's much in the way of actual folk metal on this release, I do feel the band's style of melodic black metal would be a comfortable fit for fans of that genre. Black metal riffs, while often present, are not always the focus here, and there's very little in the way of darkness or brutality on offer. The vocals are often clean, with an emphasis on melodicism, although the more traditional black metal vocals are certainly effective. None of this adds up to a sound that leans into my personal preferences and yet repeat listens have brought with them increased enjoyment. While many tracks have a section or two that rub me up the wrong way, they also contain some very rousing and at times beautiful moments. The back to back run of Maa martona makaa and Aalloista in the middle of the album is undoubtedly the high point of the album for me, showcasing the potential of the band, and the album overall is quite heavily weighted towards the second half (in other words, it's starts slowly before bringing things home strongly).

This is one of those albums that's well executed for what it is and it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that it was someone's favourite release of 2019. For me it's an interesting yet inconsistent listen with high points that really hit home on an emotional level. I'll likely check out more of what the band have to offer at some point.

3.5 stars

Zarathustra - In Hora Mortis (2006)

Zarathustra are unfamiliar to me and, judging by the lack of a single rating for any of their albums, to everyone else here on Metal Academy. Well, they are a German black metal band who formed in 1996, releasing three albums between 2000 and 2006, In Hora Mortis being the last one to date. The band still officially exist, albeit having been on hold for a while and drummer Mersus, who was skinsman for Deströyer 666 for a decade, is the only original member still in the band.

My first playthrough was whilst out dog-walking during an early spring snow flurry and In Hora Mortis made for a very apt companion on that trip as it has a frostbitten edge to it that was very much enhanced by the billowing white stuff falling from those Northern Skies. Zarathustra play quite fundamental second-wave black metal and fans of bands like Immortal should feel right at home with In Hora Mortis. Most of the tracks are medium paced with occasional blasting sections, similarly to Immortal, and they have enough melody to them to make each track memorable in it's own right and to stop the album sounding samey and forgettable. Producing actual "songs" seems to have gone out of fashion a bit in black metal circles, but rather, a huge amount of bands strive to produce "pieces" that lean heavily on dissonance and avant-garde stylings, Zarathustra, however, most definitely do not fall into that category, they still understand the benefits of a well-crafted song that can be recalled after the disc has finished playing and that makes the listener want to bang their head and pummell the air with their fists! They have crafted some fine black metal riffs here with some tasty lead work, the rhythm section is strong, Mersus providing a decent approximation of an artillery battery on overdrive with his skinwork. Vocalist Hurricane (Dennis Freiberger) has an abrasive harsh bark that suits the tracks very well and sounds suitably evil whilst still being clear enough to understand the lyrics. All the songs are strong, but there is a brace of tracks in the middle of the album, Salvation from Being and Crown of Creation that could blow the balls off a charging mammoth at forty paces!

I guess In Hora Mortis is one of those albums that often gets short shrift from a large percentage of metalheads simply for geing "generic", despite the fact that this is actually a very good slab of no-frills early second-wave worship. Personally I am very happy to have crossed path with this terrific chunk of horns-in-the-air, unpretentious black metal goodness and once more the review draft seems to have come up trumps for me. I will definitely be looking into these guys further.

(Strong)4/5

This sounds like an album I should check out. I would have drafted it if you didn't get in first.

Time for another Review Draft for The North. This month's pick order will be as follows...

1. Ben

2. Xephyr

3. Sonny

4. Vinny

The six releases to select from are... (drumroll)...

I get first pick this month and...ahem...that appears to be fortunate, as none of these albums have received much praise from what I can see. I'm going to take a punt here and choose the Sturmgeist album, if for no other reason than I generally enjoy industrial black metal.

Over to you Xephyr, if you're around this month...

Sadly I'm not, exam is April 20th, I'll be free from this special kind of torment and back better than ever in May.

Back to spending part of my Saturday reminding myself why we put fly ash in concrete and whatever the hell Marshall testing is for asphalt strength 

I guess that makes it my turn then. I will take the Amduscias album as I haven't heard too much Japanese black metal.

I will take that Diadem of Dead Stars album.

Amduscias - S/T (1998)

Amduscias were a Japanese black metal three-piece whose sole output is this sub-thirty minute album released in 1998, after which they split-up. To be honest, if you went into this blind, you would assume this was some undiscovered Scandinavian band as the sound is very much Scandinavian second wave black metal. The band formed in 1990 and sound so genuine that I would assume that they had excellent knowledge of the early Nineties' Norwegian scene. Nowadays of course, this is hardly earth-shattering stuff, the drums in particular are unremarkable and when stood next to A Blaze..., De Mysteriis... and Burzum's debut it obviously falls short, but it is still a fairly enjoyable blast of old-school second wave BM from an area of the world that is under-represented in the genre. I don't know if these guys were ever responsible for setting fire to pagodas, but I wouldn't be at all surprised!

3.5/5

Sturmgeist - Meister Mephisto (2005)

My options weren't great in the April Review Draft for The North, but I must admit that I felt like an explorer intent on uncovering a hidden treasure when I selected Sturmgeist's Meister Mephisto album from 2005. It had ok ratings, and I generally find enjoyment whenever industrial and black metal are melded together (Aborym, Thorns etc.). My confidence was quickly challenged though, with the first few tracks having very little to do with black metal at all. Instead I was experiencing a strange version of German industrial metal with a gothic coat of paint. I did however quickly recognise the vocalist as none other than Cornelius Jakhelln from the very avant-garde Solefald, and this fact alone reinvigorated me to push on and give the album time to work whatever magic the crazy guy was conjuring into my ear. Fast forward three full listens and I have to say that I've not discovered anything that I particularly enjoy. Simplistic riffs can be fine in industrial metal when the album is given a huge production, but that's not the case here. Cornelius' vocals are generally always over-theatrical, but I find them to be extra difficult to tolerate in this framework. The album does veer further into black metal as it goes on though, particularly closing track Walpurgisnacht - 2. Satz: Meister Mephisto, and it's here that I feel the band's potential is uncovered. Sadly, it's too little too late, with the remaining bad taste convincing me that this is one bottle I won't be partaking from in future.

2 stars

A Diadem of Dead Stars - Kingdoms Bathe in Golden Light (2016)

Described as “Misty Lowland's Black Metal”, one-man Greek atmo-black artist A Diadem of Dead Stars went bold on his 2016 release. With track lengths ranging from 3 and a half to over 27 minutes long over the course of 5 tracks, Kingdoms Bathed in Golden Light is an ambitious piece. If you can give it the time, the ambition does get realised too.

I struggle with the time aspect though and so will be continuing to enjoy this album long after my review as I believe that with more time spent with it, the experience will only get better. For the time being, I am pleased to report that this record is a fine slab of atmospheric black metal with a splash of ambient to close the album nicely. The bm itself is rich and luscious in nature with a distinct non-hellenic sound to it considering the artist is from Greece, although it never quite fully immerses itself in the icy cold, sub-zero temperatures of the second wave either. Think of Drudkh, WITTR or Saor and you are on a fair path to comparable sound.

Although I would argue that the musicianship here lacks the panache of any of the above artists it is still perfectly acceptable a level of competence. The balance of haunting atmosphere alongside the harsher elements of the instrumentation is done very well and considering this is an independent release recorded, and mixed by the artist himself, The Pilgrim clearly knows what he is doing. That ambient track at the end is a nice palate cleanser to finish a neat find from this month’s Review Draft.

4/5

Time for another Review Draft for The North. This month's pick order will be as follows...

1. Vinny

2. Ben

3. Xephyr

4. Sonny

The six releases to select from are... (drumroll)...

Vinny gets first pick this month...

Glorior Belli looks interesting.

Ben, floor is yours.