Extreme Underground Metal rarely addresses well-known groups, but exceptions have been made to honor the fallen and to welcome the return of black metal deity. Two dynamic, and very different, new releases from Scandinavian legends ride the tailwinds to a new dawn.
Eternal Hails… by Darkthrone
Thirty years after igniting death metal crude with their debut album Soulside Journey, and subsequently becoming synonymous with the Norwegian Black Metal Scene through their “Unholy Trinity” of records, drummer (and seminal metal historian, see below) Fenriz and lead vocalist/guitarist Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone show no signs of repenting for their perpetual ravenous arsonic spree. Eternal Hails… is an unapologetic deviation into the world of doom for the black metal legends, black-hole-heavy and mid/slow-tempoed throughout its more than forty minute run time. Cryptic musical passages, smoldering lyrics, and some of the most desolate cover art since 1995’s Panzerfaust make this a worthwhile listen for any fan of extreme metal.
Paint the Sky with Blood by Bodom After Midnight
Finnish frontman and guitar virtuoso Alexi Laiho passed away in December of 2020, mere months after the dissolution of renowned melodic death metal band Children of Bodom. Before reaching Valhalla, Laiho blessed us mortals with two new crushing tracks as Bodom After Midnight (both brimming with Laiho’s signature exquisite riffing and untenable aggression) as well as a remarkable cover of Dissection‘s “Where Dead Angels Lie.” Children of Bodom previously stuck to covers of pop rock songs with moderate success, but to hear Laiho lead Bodom After Midnight in an immaculate rendition of a black metal masterpiece is to experience an emotional swansong befitting a master at his peak. RIP Alexi Laiho (1979 – 2020).
Label: Vendetta Records Origin: Liverpool, England
Ninkharsag crusades majestically past shallow graves of frozen warriors and basks in the incendiary power of the mid-90’s Swedish black metal scene which the deceased fought to defend. Forlorn growls and mesmerizing percussion earn The Dread March of Solemn Gods a well-elbowed spot on the melodic black metal shelf; relentless riffs and monumental leads ensure that the listener thinks twice before discounting it to pull The Somberlain.
The record opens with an wildly diverse instrumental track, “Night Wrath,” that floats soft acoustics and ominous chorals across horses’ whinnies ala Bathory’s 1988 epic “A Fine Day to Die.” Neoclassical riffs soon jockey for position, galloping forth with both full-blooded heaviness and purebred beauty. The title track follows as a ripping homage to early Dissection, with minor chords surging ahead of each other in tidal bouts for dominance. Raspy growls are the spitting sonic image of the deceased Jon Nödtveidt himself, but they are unbroken and run pell-mell within the well-worn instrumental track. “Under the Dead of Night” is an icy jaunt through a distorted stampede of riffs. Lead singer Kyle Nesbitt injects drops of vocal Satanic serum into the veins of the frothing beast, which blow out arteries as the instrumental cocktail picks up speed.
The Tower of Perpetual Twilight (28:13 - 32:08)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cijd4ty0ocM
Standout track, “The Tower of Perpetual Twilight” earns its knighthood within the first 60 seconds: an introductory ethereal solo dives into epic power chords recalling the middle ages of “The Somberlain,” and ancient cursed growls follow suit into the glory. Closing digipack bonus track “The Lord of Death and Midnight” was released digitally as an earlier single, and paces impatiently between overdriven down-tuned chugging riffs. Lyrically, this track paints the cover art for the entire record (“Behold the scorched carrion which illuminates graves . . .”) while also invoking a damning message for humanity: “. . . horrors contained in this abyss of black souls is naught compared to the sins of mankind.”
Unlike that of many recent releases from contemporary black metal acts, the tempo is relatively consistent throughout the entirety of The Dread March of Solemn Gods. While certainly not slow, Ninkharsag keep it a few gears below breakneck throughout, avoiding the stereotypical path of breakdowns and doomed passages in favor of ingenious riff building and passionate storytelling. Paul Armitstead, the lead guitarist, is a alchemic player: he blends the prowess of Randy Rhoads, playful prancing of Eddie Van Halen, and speed and tone of Ihsahn to brew a triple-hopped elixir of evil. Middle tracks “Lunar Hex; The Art of Mighty Lycanthropy” and “The Necromanteion” slay this guitar-forward approach.
The Dread March of Solemn Gods tramples the modern metal battlefield with the thundering hooves of old-school melodic blackened horsepower. Ninkharsag harnesses the evil energy of a scene long forgotten by wielding endless ingenious guitar leads, ripcord percussive passages, and the heralding vocals of a tormented horseman of the apocalypse.
Gatecreeper. From left to right: Israel Garza, Sean Mears, Chase Mason, Matt Arrebollo, Eric Wagner
Why on Earth would I trek halfway across Denver in the freezing cold to see Gatecreeper, when King Diamond was playing right around the corner? King Diamond is always a safe investment; Gatecreeper, in its early stages, was the insiders’ little known pick. So, with snow spiraling down and a frigid can of Coors in my hand, Gatecreeper it was. It was November 2019, and unbeknownst to me then, the last time I’d be able to see them up to this day. The insiders’ pick totally paid off.
Out of my frustrations and fears, spare time and growing boredom, this webzine was born. Extreme Underground Metal recently turned 1 year old, starting just after the heartbreaking cancellation of the 2020 Decibel Magazine Tour. Legendary black metal pioneers Mayhem were slated to headline, with Abbath, Gatecreeper, and Idle Hands in support. I will be first in line for the next Decibel Tour, whenever it decides to rejoin the Mile High Club.
Lead vocalist Chase Mason belts gripping death metal vocals (taken 11/2019).
But let’s get back to the epic show at the end of 2019. Sean, Matt, Israel, and Eric took the stage, plugged in, and electrocuted the willing crowd. On the wings of the wildly successful Deserted, Gatecreeper was flying high. The opening notes of “Sweltering Madness” ripped the wires from under the dashboard and lead vocalist Chase Mason’s brutal introductory “ough” hotwired the engine to a fiery roar. Beer was flying, the crowd was surging, and a fist fight broke out in the circle pit behind me. Eric, the lead guitarist, mouthed “fist fight” to the drummer, who merely nodded, and hi-hatted the group to the next track. Gatecreeper fried for nearly an hour, playing instant hit after hit – not an easy task for a band with only two studio albums.
I left the show midway through headliner Exhumed‘s set, out of exhaustion and satisfaction from the main event (in my eyes – no slight to Exhumed at all), as well as concern I would misplace or lose my prize of the night, a custom guitar pick from “The Dark Cowboy” himself, Eric Wagner (pictured below).
Guitar pick used by Eric “The Dark Cowboy” Wagner in late 2019.
Gatecreeper is the death metal band you didn’t know death metal needed. Gatecreeper appropriately self-identifies as “Stadium Death Metal.” If this makes you think of the Scorpions, Van Halen, or Def Leppard, that’s the idea. Gatecreeper has the skeleton and soul of traditional death metal, with all the meat and muscle of stadium rock. Memorable power chords and endless lead licks lend themselves to instant gratification through headbanging. But this nomenclature has wider implications. In an interview with The Pit, lead vocalist Chase Mason says of Gatecreeper’s sound: “With the songwriting and maybe some of the different ways we’ve branded ourselves as a band leans into having a wider audience… [and] that’s something I welcome.” Writing death metal songs structured as pop songs inherently makes them catchier and more accessible, all the more reason Gatecreeper is the prize fighting challenger of the genre.
Back cover of Decibel Magazine Issue 196.
Decibel Magazine’s Issue 196 (early January 2021, pictured above) came with a cryptic surprise on the back cover: just below the colorfully terrifying and unnervingly dimensional display of mythical beasts, Gatecreeper’s logo is printed above three words: “AN UNEXPECTED REALITY.” Hastily organized internet sleuthing and chatroom theorizing failed to overturn anything concrete, and popular theory pointed to the band releasing a new song, but a few days later, Gatecreeper’s entire new album dropped.
An Unexpected Reality, in both delivery and song style, is about as predictable as an alien invasion. On one side, seven ultra-short grindcore-infused death metal rippers (one called “Superspreader”) span less than seven minutes and leave the listener spinning in a dazed state of ecstasy, before side two grinds the madness to a halt with a tantalizingly slow and utterly beautiful, crushing doom metal song called “Emptiness.” The finesse shown by Gatecreeper in writing a single album full of end-member metal songs spanning major genres is nothing short of phenomenal. This record single-handedly proves that Gatecreeper, already lauded as one of the finest modern death metal acts on the planet, really can do it all.
A month later, they livestreamed a show from the Crescent Ballroom in their home state of Arizona, powering through hits from the first two records in addition to a splattering of new material. In true tongue-in-cheek style, an “Ough Counter” was deployed for Chase, who managed to hit 31 by the end of the performance.
As Extreme Underground Metal was born from the ashes of the 2020 Decibel Magazine Tour and 2021 began with an unbelievably deft, superior surprise record from the Arizona death-metallers themselves, Gatecreeper is tailormade to be Extreme Underground Metal’s first ever Band of the Year.
An Unexpected Reality, limited edition splatter-print LP.
Label: Clobber Records Origin: Nottingham, England
In defiant dissidence of the old standard, Wolvencrown blackens the throne of traditional metal royalty. A Shadow Of What Once Was is a bimodal British Invasion of heresy, decreeing towering extreme metal in public, while executing ominous chain-rattling dungeon synth in private chambers.
Despite its relatively short runtime, clocking in under 20 minutes, A Shadow Of What Once Was conquers plenty of territory. Catapulting off of familiar grounds, the EP opens with a traditionally mid-tempo barrage of noble riffs. Abrasive shrieks dictate insidious commands just as sinister organs emerge to energize the melody. These gilded orchestral leaves signal the arrival of heavy symphonic bars of gold in subsequent tracks, and the track returns to cathedral-worthy power chords before seamlessly transitioning to “Part II.” Reigning with decadent distortion, menacing riffs and punitive growls inspire terror among the listening class. Occasional pace variations create sonic space for artful percussive fills, while leg-braced blast-beating keeps the song within the confines of law and order. Minor chord-driven passages spill anxiety-induced adrenaline into the epic track’s corridors until the halls burst with a flood of ethereal conclusions.
The final moments of “Part II” usher in dying-wish, celestial orchestral soundscapes. Flawlessly blended into final track “Coming to an End,” elegantly layered strings waft mournfully through the palace. Dull thumping drums impart a sense of medieval austerity into the track, marrying atmospheric emotions with pagan tradition. Angelic synths provide uplift for the dolorous fog, but the steady beating and low-end bass ground the track firmly within its dark ambient kingdom.
A Shadow Of What Once Was is a wintry citadel of black metal and dungeon synth, luring the inexperienced listener with traditional extreme riffs and vocals only to bewitch them with an elegant orchestral concluding track. Wolvencrown defy regal commands to orbit around the extreme realm, competing on a conventional battlefield before freeing their gilded gladiator from the bastille of the time-honored black metal pit.
Blackfog tosses dry, lackluster black metal compositions overboard, promoting progressive songwriting and melodic licks to first rank. One Touch Is Enough steers a warship loaded with innovative nuclear riffs while championing the quintessence of the old fleet’s icy vocals.
Spanning more than 20 minutes across 3 songs, including a brief introductory track, One Touch is Enough traverses an entire album’s worth of whitewater rapids in a buckskin canoe. Opening track “Жестокий Вкус Познания (Cruel Taste of Knowledge)” nods to the fleeting acoustic content of early black metal works like Dissection’sThe Somberlain. Meandering acoustic notes waft a breeze of melody across the listener’s ears before a rippling of clean electric inflections signals entrance into the murky depths that the forefathers often portaged.
In heavy contrast, second track “Обетованное забвение (The Promised Oblivion)” charges down the chute with boiling riffs and terrifying shrieks. Lead vocalist Coyote sets anchor with iron-rich snarls, too late to avoid drowning in the track’s magnetic distortion. Above, blackened leads blaze in the northern sky on the tails of devastatingly slow power chords, executed with the finality of Davy Jones’ spade hitting the riverbed.
Standout track “River That Leads To Nowhere” sources blackened sands and tumultuous waters from the cascading riffs of its Scandanavian progenitors. Terse instrumental verses float over inverted slabs of bedrock before the track channelizes its stream of consciousness. Tightly coiled guitar solos avulse from the primary current, electrifying flowlines otherwise bogged down in slack water. Echoing notes wander through the tune before a crushing deluge of power chords tsunamis through the floodplain. Lead axeman Unlight steers masterfully throughout the epic track, breaking the levee of melodic monotony, and bursting through triumphantly into the ocean of prominence.
One Touch Is Enough is an unrivaled black metal odyssey, sure to wash tidal waves of enlightenment over even the most worm-holed fan of extreme metal. The two-crewed Russian warship Blackfog has commanded a mighty display of force into the open sea, leaving much of modern metal still treading choppy waters.
FFO: Dissection, Shape of Despair, Sargeist, Mgla, Unanimated
Label: Debemur Morti Productions Origin: Colorado, USA
Pleasant dreams and peaceful slumber are ripped away like a scab in the world of Akhlys. Melinoë – the Greek Goddess known for bringing nightmares and madness – delivers night terrors with ominous prescience, mind-numbingly fast yet controlled musicianship, and viscerally brutal black metal shrieks. Led by vocalist/guitarist Naas Alcameth, Akhlys‘s latest wicked chimera strangles its unwitting dreamer night after night.
Melinoë establishes a suffocating atmosphere with eerily repeating melodies that scorch the blackened soundscape at full-tilt. Musical madness whips sheets of crushed guitars and taut double-bass drums before the sleep-shrieker unveils his presence in “Somniloquy.” Coherency quickly devolves into chaos, as swirling whispers implant neurotic paranoia into the paralyzed sleeper.
The juxtaposition of mystery and pandemonium is nefariously contorted throughout Melinoë. Frightening synths are often shoved aside by a violent wraith guarded by a platoon of dream invaders. Naas imposes unholy growls in various formats throughout the record, ranging from spoken snarls at the beginning of “Pnigalion” to prolonged, ravenous howls to abort the orchestral inception of “Incubatio.” Later, the deliberate, tempered pacing of the snare traps the listener in a trance. These slowed passages acquiesce to coma-inducing guttural vocals and hypnotic melancholy that induce hysteria in every (un)waking moment.
“Succubare” re-fertilizes the horror and a crescendo of restless voices spawns a panicked gasp for air, nodding unconsciously to Akhlys‘s earlier work, The Dreaming I. “Incubatio,” is an recurring nightmare of haunting melody and aggression. Balancing nearly two minutes of stifled ambient torture with another four of operatic black metal euphoria, it injects an full syringe of funeral doom before fading to black. The final section is rife with agonizingly measured percussive blasts dividing the orchestral chaos. Ruthless double-pitched shrieks pierce the soul, making it regret having entered a human life-form.
Standout track, “Ephialtes,” is the cold-blooded, spiteful embodiment of a perpetual nightmare. Named for an anxiety disorder leading one to believe a being literally “jumps on you” during dormancy, sanity-shredding vocals and brooding sirens of danger grow ever more alarming throughout the song. Midway through the track, a lone gong rings out warning chimes before choking growls relish in the final suffocating kill, not before a mocking “breathe in, breathe out.” Akhlys permeates the brain with tangible fumes of dread and meticulously developed mists of evil, exquisitely exemplifying the real terror and mystique that define the black metal scene.
Melinoë hovers voraciously over your bed. You, the listener, know you are unable to defend yourself against her, in your state of sleep paralysis. Akhlys exploits this opportunity, and demonically records the soundtrack to the horror movie looped in your dreams.
FFO: Deathspell Omega, Shape of Despair, Emperor, WITTR
Label: Independent Origin: The Land of The Three Fires
With the same weaponized hatred as black metal’s progenitors facing the religious invasion of Scandinavia, Pan-Amerikan Native Front wields blood-soaked tomahawks against colonialist evil. On second full-length album Little Turtle’s War, one-man warrior Kurator of War recounts the triumphant victories of indigenous legend Michikiniqua in a meaningful extreme metal epic.
To set the stage for the “Assembly of the Western Confederacy,” a stream gently bubbles over acoustic river stones on a peaceful meander through a snowy forest, before falling as a cascade of roaring power chords. Surging atmospheric shrieks echo defiant declarations from the commanders of the great native nations in the confederacy, and jagged slabs of percussion form the bedrock over which the torrential force flows. Second track “The Power of the Calumet Dance” shares the pipe of hatred for the imperialistic invaders. A smoldering solo rides wisps of smoke escaping the ceremonial fire, and sharpened hatchets glisten with newfound reflection, ready to taste the blood of the enemy. Steeply down-tuned guitars test the blade’s edge preparing for the “Battle of the Wabash.”
With the native army invigorated by the calumet and united in spirited anger, third track “Battle of the Wabash” is a pivotal point in Little Turtle’s War. As the sun rose on the morning of November 4, 1791, a militia of 1000 natives led by Michikiniqua (Little Turtle), Weyapiersenwah (Blue Jacket), and Buckongahelas overwhelmed the advancing American army, decisively handing the newfound country its largest defeat at the hands of Native Americans, ever. The onslaught commences with a lone indignant riff, reverberating through the frosted grounds walked upon by the indigenous brothers-in-arms, until an isolated musket blast launches the opening death volley. Taking the enemy by force with formidable melodic riffs and piercing icy vocals, Pan-Amerikan Native Front crushes the colonial scepter with one swing of the warclub. Sinister metallic hammering midway through the track symbolizes the methodical execution of the unwelcome pillagers, eventually driving General St. Clair and what remained of his men back to Washington D.C. with their mangled tails tucked between their cowardly legs.
“The Whispering Oak” and “A Witness” depict instrumental works of philosophical doom, the former sketching the lifeless forest in the aftermath of the great victory, and the latter bearing arms against the perpetual enemy. “Michikiniqua’s Triumph” thrashes at mid-tempo with abrasive lead licks and resounding war drums, arousing memories of late-era Satyricon or Dissection, but sacred singing accompanied by ceremonial percussion at the close of the track anchors it on this side of the pond. “The Great White Beaver Lurks” gnaws away at Kurator of War’s vocals with dense, gritty riffs, and fells the forest with guitar-forward bashing.
Standout track “nakaaniaki meehkweelimakinciki” roughly translates to “we remember the old ones.” Serrated black metal leads shoot fire into the sky to honor those who have passed on, while grounded blast-beating drives a stake of freedom back into the ownerless lands for which they fought. A lengthy pause in the track gives way to ethereal acoustics, displaying a new sense of beauty and peace not found elsewhere in the record, metaphorically symbolizing Michikiniqua’s leadership role in the quest for unity and equality for future generations of his people, after generations of strife, hardship, and war. Demonic leads then return, igniting the incendiary atmosphere in a final battle cry for justice, and the remainder of the track gallops forward in defiance and resilience.
Little Turtle’s War is a fiery yet somber tribute to the brave warriors who fought alongside Michikiniqua against the nefarious invaders, and triumphed. Pan-Amerikan Native Front loads venom-laced gunpowder into extreme metal muskets, unleashes barrages of fire upon the scourges of the world, and leaves the liberated earth to quench itself on the blood of the vanquished.
FFO: Wolves in the Throne Room, Ifernach, Sargeist, Satyricon
Belarussian newcomers Sacrilegious Profanity defiantly bury their extreme metal hatchet in the sacrificial chopping block of mundane genre mainstays. Loading ritualistic steel into cold-hearted chambers, Genocide Rituals is a bloodthirsty collection of Satanic supplications that shoots cartridges of blackened sludge into the hearts and minds of the masses.
Opening track “Life Abomination” marks the introduction of the wicked ceremony with an ominous omnibus of orchestral symphonics, which return in the conclusive track to bookend the unholy anthology. Battle-ridden tom-toms support the ceremonial altar, and wormholed guitars slowly cool into the calcified veins that ripple through the massive stone. The deliberate attention to mid-tempo heaviness sans blasting highlights the sheer metamorphic density Sacrilegious Profanity offers, and rips a batholith of much-needed heterogeneity through the rest of Genocidal Rituals.
Subsequent tracks evoke more advanced complexities in musical composition and tempo variations. “Necroritual of Immortality” draws the magic pentacle and the listener’s blood with a single shriek, before plodding power chords chant down-tuned invocations to Lucifer. Percussive choices and vocal deliveries are diverse: the former enticing elemental lightning with splash and stack cymbals, and the latter broadcasting angry sermons in a host of frequencies. Third track “Unholy Witchery (Devil Invocation)” repeatedly plunges the sorcerer’s staff deep into the listener’s chest in a series of chunky, coagulated iron riffs. Sanguine gore cascades down the granitic flanks of the sacrificial stone in a bubbling waterfall of salivating minor licks, as the listener loses consciousness from a final driven power chord. Entering the ethereal state, orchestral strings soundtrack the recesses of Hell, and wretched souls scream in agony whilst a steady voice utters evil invocations.
Standout track “Zodiac Sign of Apocalypse” bleats through the carnage in a slow and deliberate riff-fest in the style of Archgoat. Heavily distorted and infectiously catchy hooks are hung throughout the hateful forest, beckoning even the skin-shredded, chest-ruptured victim’s bony fingers towards the volume knob. Death-defying shrieks upshift the track, grinding the gears into soaring black metal acceleration, until the track stalls to reignite the burnt rubber misery. Instrumental passages gallop forward on the cusp of mounting thunderous power, and throat-shredding growls inject hoarse premonitions to the next listener stepping hoof into the pent-ultimate ceremonial circle.
Revered lead single “Worlds Devoured” enacts the final chapter of the infernal ritual. Opening as a fast-paced whirlwind of blackened thunder, the music resets to allow raspy, raw shrieks to ride on the backs of fading chords. Where “Zodiac Sign of the Apocalypse” is heavy, final track “Damned Void” is a molten-core fed, gravity-sucking river of volcanic ore. Crushing riffs pulse from the guitar’s neck into the waiting body of orchestral instruments, forming the symphonic closure of the Luciferian rite.
Genocidal Rituals gathers rapturous listeners for a sizzling sacrificial experiment of extreme metal branding. By ripping the starter chord of Satanic lust to awaken devious growls and down-tuned, pummeling riffage, Sacrilegious Profanity ruthlessly chainsaws through competition in this tremulous, tremendously magmatic demo.
The Diabolical Recipe of “Blodrøde Bølger” by Ildskær, a single serving appetizer track to be consumed before the upcoming EP.
Ingredients Dry: 3 raspy demonic snarls (10+ seconds apiece) 1:40′ grated metallic ride cymbal 1 minute quantity of crushed snare drum Wet: tenderized guitar-only riffs, boiled for 46 seconds 1 full bottle of full-bodied red verses dash of symphonic grandeur, to taste
Combine 1/3 tenderized riffs with first demonic snarl in cast-iron skillet over raging inferno. This is the base of the majestic, blackened dish.
Pour blood-red wine into skillet, allow to congeal, and add crushed snare cloves. Coarsely grate the metallic ride cymbal into the bubbling stew, stirring rapidly, to form a glaze over the eyes.
Tightly seal and let simmer for a few minutes, before incorporating higher-pitched riffs and shrieks to fuse ingredients together.
Introduce symphonic grandeur with slow-cooked snarls for final invoked garnish of evil.
Turn fire down and let continue to seethe, uninterrupted, for final 30 seconds. Remove from flames and serve immediately.
Label: MetalGate Records Origin: Prague, Czech Republic
Popularized by Immortal‘s obsession with winter in the early 90’s, as demonstrated on Blizzard Beasts and At the Heart of Winter, many groups have traded epiphanies of evil with fears of frostbite. Czech group Voluptas is among this crowd in spirit, but packs their chilly debut full-length Towards the Great White Nothing with metaphysically abstract lyrics and genre-bending instrumental blitzkriegs.
Opening track, “Crystalline Key,” blasts torrential sleet into crash cymbals behind an onslaught of icy shrieks from lead vocalist Michal. Stylistically a blend of Pest (ex Gorgoroth), Burzum, and early-Emperor (ala “Lord of the Storms”), Michal’s roaring deluge is philosophically advanced in content and exquisite in execution. The tempest lets up momentarily to illuminate a creative bassline and waft across a melodic lead, before the calm eye gives way to the hurricane’s second dose. These intermittent stop-starts in distortion levels and tempo are common across the record, setting Voluptas apart from contemporary one-dimensional groups.
Third track, “Of Gnosis and Agony,” is perhaps most experimental in terms of pace variation. Glacial power chords in minor keys calve musical continuity “under the sway of the coiling sun,” and contrasting lyrics about the obscure Sekhmet (a solar deity and daughter of Ra) with symbols of the more well-known Athena (depicted as an owl in liner notes) mirrors the melding of progressive instrumentation and more traditional, frigid vocals.
Standout track, “Thargelia,” is named for an ancient Athenian agricultural festival preceded by a purification ceremony wherein undesirable members of the community were chosen to die. True to subject, opening notes consist of nightmare-inducing minor chords and murderous down-tuned riffs driving the powerful verses. Extensive cymbal crashes and wintry shrieks elicit a blizzard of evil, while bone-chilling leads tear frost-bitten flesh away from the listener, layer by crystallized layer. A sudden pause allows the now-tempered wintry mix to fade into gentle acoustic flurries, before a throat-ripping abysmal growl introduces a succession of funeral doom chords, obliterating the listener in an unexpected avalanche of devastation. The instrumental squall and shrill vocal delivery return, wiping out the evidence of the murderous slide.
Penultimate track, “Between Terror and Erebus,” is a blinding assault on the senses, disorienting the intrepid listener, and cloaking the seething dangers of the looming volcanic presence. Largely unvaried and traditional in delivery, icicles of minor chords build progressions around lyrical themes of mysteriously coincident patterns between reverberating fractal veins and mortal desperation. Cosmic enigmas remain unsolved as the listener’s “occipital lobe burns away,” entrapped within the caldera, in preparation for the final phase: “Desert Twilight.” Slowly building and constantly layering, this 13+ minute epic begins as the black metal equivalent of Tool‘s “Eulogy,” until the masterful saxophone conjures paranoia and illusion. Overwhelming, doomed chords snap spinal cords, while brilliantly executed dual growls ricochet across the Antarctic continent, leading to a lengthy, obtuse saxophone solo that snake-charms extraterrestrial beams of light to the great white nothing.
Voluptas disguises their penchant for intellectual experimentation as a frost-covered black metal opus. Soundbites taken from different points of Towards the Great White Nothing could easily be confused with early-90’s Ulver bonus tracks, while others might elicit thoughts of more progressive-era Pink Floyd studio outtakes. When taken as a whole, Towards the Great White Nothing is a spectacular work of experimental black metal that will leave the listener trapped under the glossy ice of anticipation.
FFO: Ulver (early), Wolves in the Throne Room, Emperor (early), Immortal
BLACK METAL EXTRACT
Stunning artwork by Kristýna Vašíčková accompanies each track in the liner notes, with lyrics.
