Forward to 2022 and I am still blasting the same bands I did in my formative years, the same records I used to listen to, recorded tapes and that; the Nordic bands that propelled Black Metal to the bigger stages in the biggest Heavy Metal festivals in the World. They exist side-by-side with the more recent Black Metal acts, and both fit perfectly. I have been listening to a few records recently: Dimmu Borgir’s “For All Tid”, and Carpe Tenebrum’s “Mirror Hate Painting”. One went on to become what we all know, while the other one was a bit lost after this one.
And this is the magick of the genre: its evolution, all its perks and marvelous achievements. It is unthinkable, to me, to ever let go of the records and bands I see as classic, and fundamental to my growth as a music fan. And that lead me to review some released I had never heard, and some I have never heard of. From Indonesia to Iceland, I will tell you a bit about to acts that are quite different from each other, but that have a very raw and honest core; technically speaking one can easily distinguish one from the other, but as I said, you have essence in both. Enjoy…
Barzakh - “Ritual of Darkness” (Self-release, 1999)
In a scene that spawns releases on a daily basis, it is hard for me to keep up to date with what is out, and what is about to be out. These are the days where I miss not having access to everything, as it made me appreciate things a lot more than I do now. We jump from release to release, not really absorbing the music, understanding the structure, the melodies, the concept, etc. Today we hit PLAY on Bandcamp or any other music platform, and “digest” hundreds of music a week (some people… I just cannot), not actually knowing what we just heard. Well, this might not be the case of everyone, but yeah… old grumpy guy.
With that being said, allow me to present you with a turn of the century (almost) release. From Indonesia, a present hotbed for Raw Black Metal, comes Barzakh, a 2-piece band that has been around for more than 20 years. The release is their first recording, which is not even listed on Metal-Archives. Trve Kvlt as f@ck, right?! “Ritual of Darkness”, from 1999, is a 3 song Promo Tape, that lives within the realm of the Melodic Black Metal, with a focus on guitar riffs. The vocals are quite interesting, the overall tape is very interesting. Very simple and modest, no gimmicks, no atmospheres, no complex nothing, just melodic guitar riffs, a consistent drumming, and very cool vocals. Where does the band stand in terms of influences or “for fans of”, honestly, I would not know what to say, in all honesty. “The Rising of the Dark Storm”, last track, has this initial riff that shows how melodic the band actually is. Sometimes I think of Greece, although I do not “see” it specifically in their sound; but not Nordic; I also think of Cradle of Filth minus all the orchestral and operatic add-ons (which I love, by the way).
I gave some of their other releases a
go and did not get hooked on them. It is the sound, production wise, that sets
it apart, in my opinion, from their other recordings. They started cleaning
their sound, and it lost its magic, I reckon. Do I believe that today’s Black
Metal fans will find it interesting? I dare say no; will old fans like myself
find it interesting? I have no idea. Black Metal is such a particular Beast,
and its fans are even more particular. I, personally, like to blast every now
and then, and its simplicity and no perspective of being the next “DMDS”,
pleases me.
Potentiam - “Bálsyn” (Self Release, 1998)
Hailing from Icelandic frozen and desolated location, “Bálsyn” comes forth. I was completely unaware of the existence of this band and Demo until I saw an interview with Eldur on Arcane Archivist, and immediately jumped into it. I was delightfully surprised, and satisfied, with what the band has crafted back in the day. Eldur and Forn crafted a very particular Black Metal painting, especially for the end of the 90s. Black Metal is not new to reinvention or odd shifts in sound and structure, and this is a good example of such.
A sometimes slow and almost hypnotizing sound leads the way; the duo, sharing all the instruments, have in the keyboard the changing element. Here and there, unexpectedly or anticipated, Eldur and Forn add small details that grow the music to high levels of mastery. I find the music to be a bit spacey at times. Not that it goes into weird riffing or a mechanical sound, if that makes sense; but the atmosphere it structures gives me that feeling, sometimes.
Love Eldur’s vocals. Just love it. The slow pace, the deep vocals, the melancholic guitar riffs… all together gives us this piece of Dark Black Metal. But their sound goes, again in my opinion, beyond the label Black Metal. It is a Black Metal release, with a multitude of influences, no?! I hear a bit of that Dark Gothic, those melodic riffs, again, showing their strength and mark. The 4th track (“Alfablod”) is a good example of such, and it is a beautiful tune. Now my question / doubt is: would this sound better if it had had the opportunity for a better production? Some of the tracks from this Demo were rereleased in 1999 (and rerecorded, I assume), by Wounded Love Records, but I have not yet given it some of my time, and most likely will not.
A bit like the Barzakh Promo Tape, sometimes that “rotten sound” is what makes it be as good as it is, do you not agree? The honesty is all there, the available tools to create. Truth be told, these tracks would sound even bigger if cleaned, but I prefer them dirty. “My Journey into Darkness” would not sound as scary as it does, I bet. Overall, this is a remarkable achievement from very open-minded musicians that, in that time and space, created this very fine piece of music. This is visionary work; this is breaking barriers. Let it hold you and take you away. One final word: the band played the Demo in its entirety, in 2019, in Reykjavík Metalfest, and from the videos I had a change to check, they sounded amazing.
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