Ba’al : "The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here"

Taking a break from the death metal and Slayer to give a listen to a more atmospheric album. This band from England uses heavy as a vehicle for their atmosphere, rather than it being the primary focus, if the opening track is any indication of where they are coming from. They are not too tied to any sub-genre of it either, as there are death metal growls and crusty stomps thrown in. They create some impressive twists and turns in the journey you are guided on, but do they really need a 23-minute song to open the album? I do, however, like the crazed edge to the sung vocals that come in; they use a different approach than what you expect from singing in a 'black gaze' band. 

The pace gets more deliberate on 'Waxwork Gorgon". This gives it a more sludge feel. They continue to shit through genres by trying on amore of a metal core stomp in the riffing to "Floral Cairn". The first song where they make me think of Deafheaven is "Well of Sorrows". This fact is given the spotlight when they employ the higher-pitched screamed vocals. It is much less of a thing when they are growling in a lower register. It plays to their favor that they use restraint when it comes to the use of blast beats, and they are merely one color the songs are painted with. 

"The Ocean That Fills the Wound" almost feels like something My Dying Bride or Tiamat might do, as it is surreal and darkly melodic with a touch of psychedelia to the mood. Three minutes in, it blasts into more of a blackened blast. They slow into a more deliberate death doom crunch. This ebbs back into the trippy stroll through the mushroom garden. The coarse vocals sound like something Weakling might do as their pained raps sit in the background. There is plenty of room to flow with a 13-minute song, perhaps too much. Just past the midway mark, they are locked into more of a death metal groove. They are certainly more about the overt metal than Deafheaven. 

"Legasov" is black metal but in a creepy, lurking manner. It is more haunting even in its explosive moments, which works better for me when it comes to the high-pitched, more shrieked vocals. Here, they are equal parts sonic heavy and heavy metal. With less in-your-face aggression about it. I will give this album a 9, as these guys are great at what they are doing an have churned out a massive sound at the top of their game. 

pst255