Black Metal History Month: Abhor- Rituale Stramonium

The first thing that makes this band really stand  out are the vocals that are belched  out in a  froggy gurgled croak. The first song impressed me with synths adding to the melodic qualities with out compromising the heaviness. This works in a similar manner to Mortuary Drape, who these guys might remind you of from time to time. Italian bands are supposed to be obsessed  with the horror movie soundtrack thing and I suppose if that's what you want to hear, then there is enough evidence to justify that case, but I also hear some Emperor influence. Put through the band's filter is comes out much  slower, despite the fact they are able to hit the blast beats when the notion hits them.

I prefer the more deliberate doom pacing of  the third song. You would think the vocals would have grown old for me by the third song as they are pretty much one dimensional, but the music keeps  you distracted from them. The horror movie elements continue to pile on the creepiness almost to the point of making sound more like doom than what we might typically think of black metal, so there is a strong depressive element to this. "Soul's Poison" finds this taken to extreme and the synths droning you out until the drums build the song back up in the final minute. They break from this with the more Darkthrone paced "Circle of Stones". Compared to what they have thrown at you earlier in the album tihs sounds like they are taking the easy way out. "Wine of Sabbath" splits the difference taking the middle road between the Darkthrone route and the horror doom.

They keep a more deliberate pace , but with plenty of drive on " The Chant of the Owl".At over eight minutes  things need new life   they break down into a more ritualistic atmosphere three and a half minutes in. The album closes out with pipe organ , it comes across more like the Phantom of the Outro rather than a free standing song. I like the feel of this album, the step backwards into the more black n roll roar of the Darkthrone like song, is the only song on this  album  that didn't totally gel with me, so I will give this album a generous rounded up 9, as I think much like Mortuary Drape it will grow on me.

Atriarch: An Unending Pathway

This is the band's first album for Relapse Records and they haven't dramatically altered their sound for the move.  The biggest  difference between this album and "Ritual of Passing" , which was the best metal album of 2012, is they are delving much further into the whole death-rock vibe. It's not you typical death-rock where it's punk rock with a little Halloween to it, but an actual worship of death. The single note melody going into what would be the chorus of the opener "Entropy" sounds like it just flew out of the bat-cave. It often sounds like the guys in Atriarch are also not opposed to the post- Rozz Williams years of Christian death, as their is a similar serpentine slither writhing around "Collapse" as it uncoils."Revenant" continues even further down the death-rock path . there are bursts of spastic black metal ravings that leap pout like tourettes from the other wise smoothly hypnotic narcotic lure of the songs. It bears saying one of the strengths to this album is how vocalist Lenny Smith really stepped up to the plate, particularly with the clean or actually sung vocals. He kinda hinted at this in the past never really showed he could sing.

The first real purely metal song is "Bereavement" which goes from a blasting black metal to a grim doom trudge. The song expands sonically as the darkness seeps into the open cracks of the song and they are flirting with the more morose gothic sound. They are not goth in a way that over indulges elegance, but from the exploration of sorrow. Embracing the storm clouds hanging over them.This sounds like a an album that is best listened to at night, even though I am enjoying immensely as I write this at noon. October could  not have been a more perfect timing for "An Unending Pathway" to be released.

"Rot" is creepy but in a much more atmospheric manner, as it's arrangement is more abstract than the other songs up until that point. It took this one a few listens before it clicked with me. The intro is pretty minimalist and surreal, whispers echoing out of the unknown. The drums which take a every tribal feel for the majority of the album lay back and give things a chance to swell into a more physical form. Vocal lamentations come across as more speculative rather than the earlier  proclamations that carried over the thick bleakness. The lyrics almost seem to be Smith's narrative of his post-life wishes."Allfather" was already streamed on Cvlt Nation, so I knew what to expect for that one. However it is interesting to hear how it sits in the context of the album. Almost reaches a croon, as the vocals haunt the distant halls of the song. After a few listens I can here comparison to pre- Through Silver and Blood Neurosis.

"Veil" has a very deliberate sludge ridden chug to it. This balanced out between the band's invocation of darkness. It's not darkness in the sense of evil, but a rejection of the mundane that walks freely during the average work week. "Rot" was the one song as I was on the fence with at first , but after listening to it three times in a row, it finally clicked with me. I'll go ahead and give this album a 10. Billy Anderson did an excellent job at helping the band realize their vision. I am sure the album will continue to grow on me as the seasons grow colder and darker. Time will tell if this one hits the number slot on the best 0f 2014 like the album before it did two years ago, but it sounds like it should be heading in that direction.