After 3 days, I return with some epic-as-fuck Black Metal from... England? Yes, these days great Black Metal can come from any corner of the globe, even those places that are more known for lackluster crap (Cradle, Hecate Enthroned). These nice English boys (or, ancient heathen warriors) have created Black Art that's inspired and unique, yet is very reminiscent of proven pagan warlords Drudkh, Nokturnal Mortum, and Graveland. Except, unlike the last two, you don't have to endure any nazi bullshit (as far as I know anyway). I really can't emphasize enough really how epic this sounds; the pulsing keyboards, the instrument dynamics, and the gigantic production create an almost "Tolkien-level" threatric experience. The fact that it's over an hour long, doesn't hurt either! This monumental work is your new inspiration to get naked, paint yourself blue, and cleave Roman skulls!
"where a man is a man, and the children dance to the pipes of pan!"
This is good. What do you think of the new Altar of Plagues album?
ReplyDelete-Matthew
I don't like BM bands that incorporate so much Post Rock into their sound, it creates a very sleepy and "shoegazey" effect that really bores me. They're pretty good at what they do, but that whole Post Rock thing I really can't stand. It's very much Black Metal for people who don't like Black Metal, like WITTR, Liturgy, and Deafheaven are.
ReplyDeleteI figured it might be too monotonous for you, but I don't get the "black metal for people who don't like black metal" part. If anything, it's just another subgenre that you can love or hate without affecting your love or hate for "real" black metal (whatever that might be). I like Altar of Plagues, WITTR, Fell Voices, Ludicra, Ash Borer, etc., but I also like Darkthrone, Burzum, Emperor, and most of the BM you post here.
ReplyDeleteLudicra maybe being an exception, I just don't consider those bands to be legit. They convey an emotion and feel that doesn't represent the true concept of BM to be. I bring up "for people who don't like BM" because those bands are particularly accessible to people who would otherwise never listen to this music.
ReplyDeleteI'm not particularly interested in policing the legitimacy or truth of any genre of music. What matters to me is whether the music is interesting, emotive, evocative, or even just catchy. I think most interesting experimental and extreme music starts from a place of wanting to do something different (i.e. illegitimate and untrue to the pre-existing constraints of the genre). That said, I hate trend-surfers and I hate people who don't engage with a genre with some respect for what's come before them (which is why I can't listen to Liturgy). But none of those other bands strike me as doing that. If you don't like them, though, there's nothing wrong with that. Just a difference of opinion.
ReplyDeleteTolkien - good, Hitler - not good.
ReplyDeleteI always thought nazism was counter-intuitive to Black Metal, and I hate how much the genre is infested by it. I refuse to listen to anything NS, period. I think it's easy for non-believing white people to shrug it off. Being brown, I take that shit more personally.
ReplyDelete