Arbor
“In Starless Night… We Follow a River of Blood" (Blood and Crescent, 2023)

Taurus is an Artist of many traits and the mastermind behind Fellwinter and Gauntlet Ring, along with Arbor, of course. These 3 projects are some of the most exciting Black Metal out of the USBM scene, and it is their simplicity and melodic ability that make them stand out. Focusing on “In Starless…” we can easily hear that Taurus has taken the same path that led him to the work he put out on the previous Demos; in other words, he stayed true to his Art. Some may say that this is the easy path, the effortless path, but I dare to disagree.

Arbor’s Black Metal is one of beauty. Raw, yet melodic. Slow paced moments where the listener is taken out into the mountains, through peaceful rivers and desolated plains. Without sounding Folk or Pagan, his music is, from my perspective, so enrooted in Nature that this image is reasonable. Where “Winter Moon” was mellow and melancholic, “In Starless…” he puts forth a different facet of his music, presenting faster tracks in oppose to the slower pace he started with. Both are impressive, and both display what I would risk saying are distinct emotional states, and that differentiation makes Taurus’ music with Arbor - and pretty much everything he touches - amazing and distinct.

I feel that, with this Demo, he is displaying more influences from Eastern Black Metal. He does cover Graveland, so I would say Infernum, Fullmoon and Veles might be named in terms of influences, along with the BlazeBirth Hall. The whole Polish Black Metal scene from the 90ies is outstanding, although we all know what it was all about, right? And I am only focusing on artistic details, and not personal artist opinions.

Arbor is the musical endeavor of one very talented musician that goes by the name of Taurus, from New York City. Taurus has been releasing Black Metal Demos under the moniker Arbor since 2021, and along with bands like Kastrum has restored my hopes that the whole Raw Black Metal scene would reach an end, and real Black Metal would surface. Hate me for my words, but I could care less.

Ordem Satânica
“Perpetuum Satanas” (Signal Rex, 2023)

Where to start with this one? It is not easy, while being quite easy. How? Quite simple if I may. Ordem Satânica is formed by chaps that have been around for ages, and more importantly than that is the fact they have proven their worth all these years. Individuals that are part of some of my favorite projects in today’s Black Metal scene, always adding more and more to their work, crafting ideas that show that some are, indeed, better than others, reach further than others, and are more than others. Arrogant? Is Black Metal not an arrogant artistic genre? Well, of course it is.

Ordem Satânica has always felt like an artistic means of communication with a higher being, the musical expression of beliefs, perhaps, where each release resembles a Black Mass, a ritualistic pathway to enlightenment. As arrogant as it might sound, I dare to agree.  I have always looked at some bands within the Black Metal spectrum to life by those “rules”. Obviously, when we are kids Black Metal sounds - and looks - very honest and genuine, but we grow up only to know that most of it is just lies… and we feel “betrayed”. Some bands, musicians, artists, truly live by their words, and their music is a continuation of their Being. How do we attest to the veracity of such dangerous information? Unable to do that we are, but we want to believe it (geek references are a must in a Black Metal review). And this is not based on the lyrics, the names of songs or the artwork; this is based on the atmosphere their music drags us into, the emotions that come pouring when we hit PLAY, the effect it has on us. I recall watching Degredo, for example, and having an emotional reaction to the music that I was not expecting. Does this make it more genuine and “Trve” than A or B? Of course not. But it transmits something that we fail to explain, perfectly, through words.

Ordem Satânica brings forth emotions. It does sound childish to associate music and emotions, especially in such a visceral way, but I believe many of you will understand my words. It is almost an extra-sensorial experience. Strangely fulfilling. “Perpetuum Satanas” does not fail to provide such emotions, such sensations, such ideas of ethereal vibrations.  And this might be one of the best ways to analyze their music: ethereal vibrations. Musically speaking, “Perpetuum Satanas” is a testament to the members’ ability to create such dark celebrations of occult energy. No cliches, no gimmicks, just Black Metal. Portuguese style if I may add. The production is expectable, and welcomed by us all, of course. No better way to worship mystical energetic paths than through this low-fi sounding music. Nevertheless, not all is buried in ashes and bones, and we are able to extract, from the music, the melodies that hypnotize and fustigate the mind. “A Vermelha Visão de Outrora” (“The Red Vision of Before”) has an amazing guitar riff, and the whole pace of the song, overall, is slower than most of the tunes present on the album. This is the track that leads the way, that has the more relaxing atmosphere, if I may. Imagine Hamelin’s Flautist leading the innocent towards unholy lands. The vocals, always in Portuguese, give the music that little something; again, something one cannot perfectly put down into words… his words come out in a majestic way. A dark and haunting way.

Ordem Satânica is able to, once again, align with the energies that live high on the mountain top, and channel them into 8 tracks of pure dark evil. Are we surprised? Honestly, no. However, it is always exciting to greet these mates back.

Plainchant

“My Sword Sheathed in the Ribs of Modernity” (Independent, 2023)

As soon as I finished reviewing his first release, I got a text message from a mate telling me to check two releases. One was “The Suns Sets on our Time”, and the other one was this. This came out on the 14th of February and is as amazing as the 1st one! Me and my mate diverge on what is the most powerful of the two, but I am still going through this one, and so far, I cannot give you a clear opinion on that.

Again, two lengthy songs where the vocals still sound buried beneath the rubble and from deep within the Earth’s core. I just love it. I love how he recorded these, love it. He keeps his music as intense as possible, as that results in striking melodies and heavy atmospheres. And although his music might “live” within the sub-genre, I get a bit of something else. At times I get some Burzum hints. Maybe not perceptible at first, nor too overwhelming, but I hear them in his music. It makes sense, as this whole sub-genre got a lot from the man that was so fundamental for the genre, and such a prick at the same time.

One of the feelings I get from these 2 songs is that the Post Black Metal influence is a lot stronger than in his previous one. Not that it leaves the realm of Black Metal, but it moves further from its core. The vocals… did I mention the vocals? Man, just need to give kudos to the main man for going down this road! The instrumental part is amazing, and the way the vocals were placed only helps in enhancing this side of the music.

Plainchant is, in a way, a modern approach to the Atmospheric Black Metal sub-genre. We can clearly see that several external influences were gathered in order to produce such a “creature”, and that is the richness of Music and this specific genre. Given these two examples of his creativity, I sincerely believe in an amazing successor to these 4 songs.