Myrddraal
Blood On The Mountain
[Decius]
When a new black metal album this good comes out it makes me want to put my fist through the faces of all those stupid 'black metal is dead' motherfuckers. I first heard Myrddraal as a three-piece-plus-drum-machine outfit on the Gernoth/Myrddraal "Cold Moon over Kaltenberg" split tape and was blown away - almost nobody bothers putting the 'metal' into black metal anymore, but these guys heap on extra amounts of fistbanging riffs and general classic-thrash elements along with the more conventional fast-strummed black metal stylings. Needless to say, when I heard that they added a live drummer and released a full-length CD I jumped at the chance to pick it up, and I was NOT disappointed. And not just 'not disappointed' - I was fucking blown away...
This album screams "METAL" right from the opening of "Beyond Redemption" with its thrashy chorus section and ripping, searing verses and solo sections. And there's plenty of ripping, thrashing black metal scattered throughout the rest of the album on songs like "Under the Banner" and "Surrounded by Unlight". But what moves these guys from great to fucking amazing is their epic sense, something I somehow failed to notice on the split tape. There are TWO ten-plus minute epics on this album ("Daughter of the Night" and the title track), and they are epics in every sense of the word - plenty of sweeping, slower sections carefully crafted, a constant sense of building atmosphere, and amazing use of clean vocals and acoustic guitar. The acoustic work throughout the album deserves special mention, as it's very accomplished and in a manner I've never really heard on a metal album before; picked arpeggios, single-note lines, and actual strumming form the melodic base of some of the song sections; it's not just a layer added onto the songs - it's an integral part of the songwriting. The first two minutes of the title track, in fact, are simply beautiful and somber acoustic guitar, and the acoustic doesn't stop when the rest of the band kicks in - the guitars pick up the acoustic melody and build on it while they mutate it, carrying it through the bulk of the song. Another great epic touch is the seven-plus minute instrumental "What Once Was" - it stays midpaced and keeps developing a pattern through several variations, always building the atmosphere (playing with the dynamics of the guitars, then letting the bass take the spotlight for a section).
The cohesiveness of the songwriting is phenomenal, and the track sequencing on the album plays this up even more. The faster, ripping songs are broken up by the more epic songs, giving the album a real sense of flow that keeps it from sounding stagnant. There is a vision and spirit here that is all too rare and should not be missed. I just can't say enough good things about "Blood on the Mountain". No recent black metal album has captivated and inspired me like this 53 minute masterpiece. Bottom line - this album is essential, a landmark album for black metal in the new millenium. Get it or do me a favor and just fucking off yourself.
© 2001 lord vic
This album screams "METAL" right from the opening of "Beyond Redemption" with its thrashy chorus section and ripping, searing verses and solo sections. And there's plenty of ripping, thrashing black metal scattered throughout the rest of the album on songs like "Under the Banner" and "Surrounded by Unlight". But what moves these guys from great to fucking amazing is their epic sense, something I somehow failed to notice on the split tape. There are TWO ten-plus minute epics on this album ("Daughter of the Night" and the title track), and they are epics in every sense of the word - plenty of sweeping, slower sections carefully crafted, a constant sense of building atmosphere, and amazing use of clean vocals and acoustic guitar. The acoustic work throughout the album deserves special mention, as it's very accomplished and in a manner I've never really heard on a metal album before; picked arpeggios, single-note lines, and actual strumming form the melodic base of some of the song sections; it's not just a layer added onto the songs - it's an integral part of the songwriting. The first two minutes of the title track, in fact, are simply beautiful and somber acoustic guitar, and the acoustic doesn't stop when the rest of the band kicks in - the guitars pick up the acoustic melody and build on it while they mutate it, carrying it through the bulk of the song. Another great epic touch is the seven-plus minute instrumental "What Once Was" - it stays midpaced and keeps developing a pattern through several variations, always building the atmosphere (playing with the dynamics of the guitars, then letting the bass take the spotlight for a section).
The cohesiveness of the songwriting is phenomenal, and the track sequencing on the album plays this up even more. The faster, ripping songs are broken up by the more epic songs, giving the album a real sense of flow that keeps it from sounding stagnant. There is a vision and spirit here that is all too rare and should not be missed. I just can't say enough good things about "Blood on the Mountain". No recent black metal album has captivated and inspired me like this 53 minute masterpiece. Bottom line - this album is essential, a landmark album for black metal in the new millenium. Get it or do me a favor and just fucking off yourself.
© 2001 lord vic