In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.
Two bands enter, one leaning on legacy and history, but with an experimental twist never leaving them resting on their laurels. The other is a solo outfit, churning out album after album, weaving a tapestry of dark magicks and midnight echoes. Both trade in black metal, although you’ve probably at least heard of Mayhem, while I’m guessing a lot fewer have experience with Frozen Ocean. Let’s change this, not by pitting the two against each other, but by looking at their most recent releases on this most frozen of mornings.
Time to descend.
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How hard is it to maintain this crown as a progenitor of the genre when the reality is that Mayhem’s achievements in bringing black metal to the forefront have almost nothing to do with any of the music the band has released in almost 30 years. It’s been a minute since ’94 and De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, and full-length #7 Liturgy of Death might be as far removed from that seminal album (one which, I’ll note, Colin REFUSES to add to his many black metal retrospectives and columns!) that one would be forgiven for not even placing it as the same band. Is that necessarily a bad thing, though? Much as I love that record and how much vocalist Attila Csihar channels Dave Mustaine on “Freezing Moon,” there’s a slick attack to the riffs and production that might make this one of the most accessible albums the band has ever put out.
Opener “Ephemeral Eternity” has the added benefit of Garm contributing, but it’s a dark, ominous track until Hellhammer’s double kick obliterates the mood to deadly effect. “Despair” is fantastic, filled with buzzing guitars and pick slides, at once bringing classic touchstones with incredibly slick, modern arrangements and production. As Liturgy of Death propels forward the momentum doesn’t let up, and by the time of closer “The Sentence of Absolution” I’m not thinking quite so much of the band’s legacy as I am looking forward to their continued future.
Liturgy of Death is available now from Century Media Records. For more information on Mayhem, check out their website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
For the uninitiated, an admission: I have a soft spot for one-man bedroom black metal. Let’s just say we have history. So even though this is my first exposure to Frozen Ocean, the vessel by which the aforementioned one-man Vaarwel channels his icy metal heart into Askdrömmar, I feel an intimacy with the music, better able to sit in the midst of someone carefully laying out track and track, programming and mixing and trying to build some thematic cohesion. From a lyrical perspective I’m at a loss never having learned Russian, but musically tracks like “Mangata” and “Bortkastade dodsrunor” gel not only by having common tempos and a laid back approach to the form, but from judicious use of keyboards not for the typical ambience, but as a melodic thread to tie Askdrömmar together.
The promo churns out the usual fare around capturing the darkness and disaffection of our modern isolations, etc…but the music for once embodies some of the press. I really like the way a track like “Gristimmar” can throw a little Muse-like rave section in its chorus yet maintain some leathery cred by the time Vaarwel’s raspy croak comes back. Really emotive, melodic and tight black metal songs. You don’t see those words strung together too often; you hear it even less. I think Frozen Ocean has it.
Askdrömmar is available February 13 from Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings. For more information on Frozen Ocean, check out their Facebook page.
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Until next time, keep it heavy…keep it safe.
– Chris
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