There's so much thought interjected into this recording that it could strangulate the night air. One sometimes gets the feeling that the problem with the black metal genre today is exactly that, how it has come to be defined as a "genre"; when bands work to create it in particular, to construct it, to develop it even, they are restricting it to certain barriers and limitations which were never meant to exist, and in turn killing spirits of depression and solitude that should ultimately be perceived as neverending. Despite the fact that there are several good bands, emotion seems to be an element severely lacking in most black metal anymore, and in turn understanding is a quality which is often no longer needed - it would have been impossible not to categorize it at all of course, but what people seem to forget is that black metal is a concept, it is atmosphere, everything that was poured into Apocalyptic Raids and In the Sign of Evil, an endless hypnosis of hatred, a vision of destruction and a plane of conviction. It is a terrible sentient indeed to hear an album which you believe musically is great, but empathetically so shallow that it proves impossible to overcome some sort of empty notion on each listen. Most music of course is meant to invoke images of some sorts; but if you're not getting something more out of this concept, some externally absorbing attribute of desolation, then without a doubt you may like to listen to black metal, but perhaps you'll never really feel it.

I don't expect most people to share my views, and when Urobach passed this on to me, I had no idea what to expect either. He told me rather straightfowardly that most were never going to get it - they heard nothing but noise, they wrongfully compared it to Abruptum, or they even said it flowed like nothing but a mindless collaboration of sounds. And upon my first listen, I was not too convinced that I was "getting it" either. Extremely raw, primitive, stripped down, only a minute semblance of structure - now these are not words individually that ever receive negative connotations in my mind, but they do have to coincide and manifest from one another into some sort of larger and more powerful scheme (the underlying ambience of black metal, what separates it and makes it completely unique). This was the product that initially I couldn't recognize, and I set it down for about a week. When I picked it up again later and decided that it deserved more of a chance than I gave it, I realized to my horror that I had never really even listened to it yet.

It is impossible for me to explain the influx of thoughts I received then, but "revelation" would definitely be the wrong word; perhaps introspection is better, because I really can't believe what I hear when I listen to this now, and I don't count on many to sympathize with me. Where to begin trying to review it? Some areas almost sound like Beherit's Demonomancy demo or Oath of Black Blood, with that deep, sonic resonation and asphyxiating environment coming across so evilly it is impossible to believe a human produced it. Other sections are simply very primal and ritualistic, largely owing to repetitive, one-and-a-half-sticked drumming (Urobach broke one while recording) in addition to a hammer being smashed upon steel. A few vocal effects are added, mostly echo, and they are very apparent in "Frozen Shade." "Pure Unholy Death" and "Child Sacrifice" are simply amazing surrealistic songs, conjuring ancient scenes of classic horror movies nocturnal forests. There is no bass guitar whatsoever, and the soloing is completely sloppy and primeval.

Most of you will hate this, and that is exactly the way Urobach prefers it, as the scumbags will never have a remote conception of how monstrous this is. A truly spectacular album from a very credible individual, one who will never try to embed himself in scenes, and one who still uses "metal" as a noun, a verb, and an adjective.

© 2002 hando