-

 Taubra

“Therizo” (Debemur Morti Productions, 2023)

I have strayed away from a “cleaner” Black Metal sound awhile back and descended into the pits of the rawer and visceral facet of the genre, to only respond to haunting and terrifying melodies and sounds; the dirtier of the dirty, the uglier of the ugly. That was my Black Metal. Truth be told, I was not brought up on such a “disgusting” sound, but on that 90ies Black Metal sound. Some might argue that it was still dirty and raw, but I dare to differ… to some extent.

However, 2023 has brought back up that appreciation I have for a more melodic Black Metal, one that is reminiscent of the 90ies (although never totally, of course) and of days of old. And the biggest difference tends to be in the sound, not that music itself. Imagine if Vetala decided to “clean up” their sound, how would that sound? Interesting… with that, I came across Taubra, a band I had never heard of, but that has in its formation musicians from acts like Malphas, Aara, and Porta Nigra, among others, so these lads know what they are doing, and they are doing it pretty well. Taubra is a Swiss/Norwegian trio, that started out in 2022, and that only this year released any music: 2 singles and now their Full-length, “Therizo”.

“Therizo” is a 41-minute blast of good Black Metal, period. Not tremendously soft, it has this power, fire in the gut, if I may. Not overly aggressively as well. I feel it has the right amount of both: melody and violence. I love the production, love the sound the band and producer achieved. And love the little details the music has. Not filler, but perfect addons to the music, making it even more majestic. A grandiose sound, grandiose atmospheres, and melodies; but, thankfully, never going beyond a certain limit of “acceptability”. Explaining: the band risked, at times, to “overdo” certain moments, ran the risk of making those same moments more mellow than what the music was asking for, but very wisely, they deflect and on we go again. Tremendous, honestly.

One of the best things about this record is how dynamic it is, and the music easily flows. The drumming is, in my opinion, a pivotal point in achieving that flow, in having that tempo and pace. The guitar is packed with melody, strong and powerful melody. Overall, this was a massive surprise, and a very pleasant album to listen to. It went into a loop, and it stayed with me throughout the day. Massive, massive, massive…

Taubra Official Bandcamp

Debemur Morti Productions Official Bandcamp



 

Comentários

Enviar um comentário

Mensagens populares deste blogue

-
Imagem
Beyond Helvete - “Anthem of Decay” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2022). Immortal Frost Productions has given us 2 tremendous Black Metal works this year: Corpus Christii and Pyra. Both different, but both within the realm of Black Metal (and Death Metal). This work, by Beyond Helvete, is the 3 rd IFP work I have access to, and we again drop into the universe of Black Metal. Slightly different from the already mentioned ones, but still ferocious and full of power. Beyond Helvete has been around since 2007, and Natrgaard, the man behind it, has been delivering the goods. Imagine the strength of a band like Marduk, that endurance, that consistent show of power… Beyond Helvete lives in a similar bubble, although not reaching the quality the Swedes have gathered throughout these many years of presence in the Black Metal Global scene. Nonetheless, it sounds as a good example to describe one of the facets of the German musician without limiting it to A or B. The track that names the alb...
Ler mais
-
Imagem
  Psychonaut 4 “… Of Mourning” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2024) Psychonaut 4 have been spreading their specific human condition for several years now, 14 to be more precise, and only now have I contacted their sound! The name was well-known, but the music was not. I have never been a fan of the more depressive side of the genre, and these lads live inside that sphere; thing is, their sound has small details that sound differently. There is a different dynamic in all their sound, an almost progressive and psychedelic approach. No, not a Floydian one, ok? They have guitar solos that sound quite cheerful. Wait… are they not on the depressive side of the globe? Maybe they are… The more you listen to this record, the more you are able to hear the different moments the band has crafted. Several emotions and stages of existence. Funny how their sound has these 2 opponent personas: sadness and joyfulness. Well, I can hear and feel moments of clarity and clear skies. But sadness does ...
Ler mais
-
Imagem
  Kratti “Matka Kohti Kosmista” (Signal Rex, 2024) “Kratti are the ascending newcomers of the bleak fields of Finnish Black Metal!” That is one bold statement, right? You need to be good at something before you go out and say that. Well… let’s find out. Kratti is a 3 man Finnish straight to the throat Black Metal act. They do have a point when they state they are the “…ascending newcomers…”, for their sound is stone cold ripping Black Metal. It is Finnish, and you can almost feel it in your bones. The melodies merged with that Finnish violence – that is not violence, but a harsher approach – that we all love. Come on! It is hard not to enjoy what the Finns have been doing for decades, their mastered sound, their own vision of Black Metal… Kratti goes down that path, successfully, and oh man! I was never into complex music, maybe due to my Hardcore Punk background, so when a band goes straight to the point, I am in for the ride. To say that these lads are doing something tha...
Ler mais