Review contributed to Death Metal Underground by Rainer Weikusat.
Burial is a hipster/ bald beardo band from Manchester, England who claim to play black metal. Unholy Sedition‘s tracks are all pretty short, staying within the radio rock “about 3 minutes” window. Thus all of the songs are arranged like radio rock songs rather than in death metal riff mazes or black metal melodic narratives. Burial do not even try to actually play those genres of music; only to imitate the aesthetics of prior imitations in a poorly done Khyber Pass Copy constructed in a cargo-cult fashion by primitive tribesmen in a pathetic attempt at idolization.
With the exception of a few power chord passages, the riffing is Immolation and Immortal “inspired” tremolo picking. Inserted are occasional speed metal breakdowns reminiscent of Metallica and Bathory. Whoever wrote Unholy Sedition had a few good ideas of what to steal to appeal to a mainstream metal audience for a first listen, however it quickly becomes tiring “Lucky Charms” metal rehashing better bands into radio rock. The vocals stray between a black metal “rasp” so poor it sounds like screamo valls in a vice wailing and wimpy death metal growls that sound like Cookie Monster giggling without ever conveying any sense of aggression or urgency. The drummer at least stays the background in a strictly supporting role as is proper.
All of Burial’s tracks on Unholy Sedition follow a rock song format of verse with accompanying music and bridges between them, usually employing fairly simple 3 – 4 chord riffs. The different passages seem to be stitched together without rhyme or reason beyond “being atmospheric”. I suffered through this for three days before this became so annoying that I affectionately binned the CD.
Tags: 2016, black 'n roll, burial, review, united kingdom
DON’T give this nigga a sanctioned voice on DMU!
As usual, no need to give airtime to no-name bands of whom nobody will otherwise hear!
People usually refer to “no-name bands you haven’t ever heard of” as “underground”. That’s where the more interesting music is made but it’s also much more saturated with crappy also-ran ensembles. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of good stuff. Eg, I’m really happy with the 2015 Nordvrede album. That’s not suitable for people who get mental ulcers when confronted with topics considered to be extreme right-wing but I fail to see why “Kill invading muslims” would be “an issue” while “kill invading Christians” (eg, Unleashed, Let The Hammer Fly [2015]) is “jolly good time” stuff.
The music is intentionally raw/ primitive but it has poweful riffs, interesting melodic developments, strong drumming and vocals. Probably falls short of “DMU standards”, though.
If you enjoy Nordvrede then maybe give Kaevum a try. Has a member in Nordvrede and is the better band to me. Their only full length is the last bm album I can think of that is completely great from beginning to end. Strong early Gorgoroth and other early Norwegian bands feel and possibly Mjölnir with some of the “clean” vocals.
Too bad both are weak. Same with Dark Fury with their anti-islamic album. What else is there? Malsaint’s LP also isn’t good. It’s a shame really, because it wouldn’t be bad to have few bands in that vein with actual strong art at the forefront. Few NSBM acts managed to achieve that level back then. It is possible, that Impaled Nazarene and Darkthrone make some occasional allusions. Either way, as much as it shouldn’t be now main focus of black metal, its stance here should be simply obvious, with outspoken enemies identified as such and named. Anything else will be merely elaborate way of concealing cowardice.
Kaevum is definitely not weak. Completely trimmed only what is necessary black metal.
I would call the Nordvrede album NSBM. At least, there’s nothing “Nazi-themed” on it (in the English lyrics at least). But it’s decidedly anti-islam, anti-“brown people from the south coming here and bringing their society/ culture with them” and pro “Northern heritage”, being rooted in and formed by one’s country of birth and violently repelling the otherlings in a clash of a worthy, native culture and an unworthy, invading one, and ticks a few more boxes in the side topics.
That’s enough to make certain people scream “Nazi!” or “White supremacist!” or “$other_label_of_disapproval!”. OTOH, what about “the Dunedain of the north” or “the Easterlings”, to name something strikingly similar in more famous popular culture? Topics like these are part of the fabric of mankind, and putting fingers in one’s ears while singing “la la la I can’t hear you, la la la you don’t exist” is just silly.
Especially in black metal.
This should obviously have started with “wouldn’t”.
People tend to have a bit of a romantic misconception about ‘the Nazis’. There’s a German word coined for them, Schreibtischtaeter, translation could be desktop or cubicle villain: Some office clerk who works 9 – 5 on organizing mass killings of people and putting their erstwhile property to ‘better uses’ but who’s just the kind of good-natured, harmless family man most of these people are to everyone who didn’t get into the wheels of the machinery so far.
This is obviously much more evil than a guy with a submachine gun and a skull on his uniform ‘randomly’ killing people who have the mispleasure to meet him. But it’s not a very metal sujet.
Please don’t give this Rainer poser a platform. What is this a fucking democracy now?
I don’t think the review is bad but I’d rather this site tend to keep the shit albums reserved for smr. I’d rather read full reviews of new good or under appreciated older albums (if this site already hasn’t reviewed most already)
This was meant to be an ‘en miniature’ SMR written in the hope that it would help other people avoid wasting money on this, considering that this was the first album I ever bought I didn’t just put onto the ‘wrong turn’ stack to keep it for possible, future reference but actually threw away (after listening to it for about 6 times).
OTOH, there’s little use trying to hide that this new-fangled “metal for overgrown jocks with the IQ of a not terribly smart male pigeon”-thing is not me. Not that I ever claimed otherwise.
Ah I see. Your story reminds me of the time I instantly quit playing dragon age 2 right at the end when it became too much to bare. The first game was pretty good though
May a thousand gay wankers
Seeking to impress their girl-friends
With their erectional dysfunctions
Come down on you
All the way that they want
Because security
Has to save them
Aw c’mon Daniel we know its you.
That’s based on something I wrote (and I had the mispleasure to stumble over this “black metal for ‘good time’ football fans” thing) but 50% – 60% of the text was written by him. I bought the digital album for £5 and spending that on anything else, including giving a fiver to someone seeking to raise money in public, had been a better choice.
The music has some surface appeal one can fall for when just sampling this online but the more the structures get recognized, the more unpleasant the experience becomes (to me at least).
When was the last metal album to be both somewhat innovative & good DMU ?
Serpent Ascending – Ananku
Even that one gets a bit bland after awhile, sadly.
Anaku was quite good, kind of personal but i wouldn’t say it really was innovative…
Is this some kosher metal, or what?
I`d rather listen to Anvil.
Incinerate the six headed star.
This is cheesy music tinker toys, I really hate the fake Darkthrone mid tempo riff that comes in, I can imagine posers (Darkthrone fans) making a scrunched face holding a fist up and nod headbanging along then reaching in their pocket to get their phone and continue to nod bang while texting for seven minutes
Actually a weak death metal album but more evocative compared to this crap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lam9IeNjYnY&t=291s
Haha fucking Posers you Having a laff our kid are you a bird brain haha set of chuds
Was that a complete sentence?
Just a quick rant from all these funny reviews posers in America must be different in england haha
You should include punctuation so your comments don’t have to be fished out of the spam box filled with Polish penis pill shills.
Fuck me, a black metal band using a riff that sounds like Darkthrone?? What a faux pas.. Honestly, if its not an obscure one-man project only listened to by virgins in their bedrooms it’s basically considered shit in some circles. I think I’d rather be a Darkthrone poser to be honest.
i released this on my label, thank you so much for all of your positive comments, my work here is obviously done. good to see that extreme metal fans arent childish and critical elitists. great stuff.