Vrolok is a one-man black metal band from Pennsylvania, which is rapidly proving to be one of the hotbeds of activity for good black metal from the US shores. This demotape, "Nocturnal Isolation", is the band's first official demo. It's almost an hour of playing time of black metal that stays toward the lo-fi, raw, and primitive end of the pool. Drum machines and four-tracks seem to be the order of the day, but given the primitive nature of the music that's no limitation at all - if anything, it helps it seem more authentic and ancient-sounding as more and more new music moves towards higher technology. Tracks alternate from faster blasting tracks to more midpaced, almost doomy slow tracks, and back again. Musically, it's very simplistic in that good way (think DDTM-era Beherit, Von, maybe older Burzum), and with great riffs the hypnotic, trance effect just drills into your brain. The croaking vocals are a bit buried in the mix, but that's a minor gripe, really. Notable songs are the blasting "Nuclear Autumn", the droning "Satanic Beasts of Fury", a pretty good cover of Bathory's "13 Candles", but the masterpiece is the closing 12-minute magnum opus "In the Arms of Death". It goes through several changes as it winds its way through fast, slow, and in between, pausing along the way for some somber guitar soloing. It's a very ambitious track to put on a first demo, and I think it's pulled of quite well. I believe the demo is sold out now, but you might be able to track down a dub without too much trouble.

© 2003 lord vic