The EP has a very raw, yet atmospheric feel about it. It occasionally reminds me [...]]]> Having only recently discovered Frostwork – the one-man ambient Black Metal project from the mind of Dagon (also of Heathen Deity) – “The Rites of Winter…” feels all shiny and new to me, despite having been released in 2008.

The EP has a very raw, yet atmospheric feel about it. It occasionally reminds me of Burzum or (to a lesser extent – but it’s still there) Bathory, but those influences are not overpowering, nor are they the be all and end all of Frostwork’s sound. I’m also reminded of Forest Silence in places (a project by Winter formerly of Sear Bliss) – and this is wonderful since I love Forest Silence. However, there are more than enough differences in the music to be able to tell the bands apart.

The combination of natural sounds (howling winds, rain, etc) and the harsh, abrasive feel of the music and vocals give the EP a primal edge. Stretching beyond merely being a collection of five tracks, “The Rites of Winter…” feels like a voyage into your own subconscious. A spiritual and ritualistic atmosphere swamps the recording and, as clichéd as it sounds, it leaves me with the almost undeniable urge to spend some time in a forest. With or without corpsepaint.

Tracks such as “The Storm” really showcase the talent lying behind Frostwork. Dagon certainly has a knack when it comes to composing songs. In this particular track, the listener is engulfed within slow-paced, yet extremely menacing piece of music. It’s the sort of thing that can have all of the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end within moments. “The Rites of Winter” increases the intensity and it’s as if Dagon’s screams are echoing around your skull. Superb!

All in all, this is a powerful and thoroughly absorbing EP – a sure fire way to ensure that I’m left begging for more. When’s the album due out?

Rating: 93%

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I suppose it would be fair to say that Winterthrall play Melodic Death Metal (with some Black Metal undertones – particularly in the [...]]]> Admittedly “Stormraven” is a few years old now… and Winterthrall will soon be releasing new material. But, for reasons unknown, I wanted to write about this little mini-album/EP today.

I suppose it would be fair to say that Winterthrall play Melodic Death Metal (with some Black Metal undertones – particularly in the vocals), but they’re never afraid to showcase different influences… and “Stormraven” is a great example of this. The tracks are generally longer than those on “Nightmares of the Sleepness” and the whole thing has a completely different atmosphere. An ominous doom-filled cloud appears to lurk over the tracks.

While the tracks do seem to be a bit on the long side, they never become dull or repetative. Whether it be a neo-classical riff, a beautiful (and awe-inspiring) guitar solo (these guys have several of them!), tortured vocals, an unexpected interlude or a moment of pure brutality – Winterthrall know how to keep you hooked.

In comparison to Winterthrall’s other work, “Stormraven” has always felt rather mysterious. While the tracks on “Nightmares of the Sleepless” and “Autumn Caskets” all had proper names, the tracks on “Stormraven” are only identified by roman numerals. I quite like this as, even after countless listens, it still feels like I’m about to take a wander through the unknown.

Rating: 93%

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There’s a very strong [...]]]> I could kick myself today, I really could. I bought this album a fair while ago, loved it and then in the years between its release and now, I’d forgotten about it. However, today I randomly remembered it again… so you’re getting a Rediscovering Old Music review

There’s a very strong chance that I may have reviewed this album for an older incarnation of Loucifer Speaks (I’m pretty sure that I interviewed the band around the time that this came out), but I really can’t remember… and I can’t be bothered to look. I know, I know – I’m terribly lazy.

Primitive Graven Image are a fantastic Black Metal band from Chesham, England and “Traversing the Awesome Night” shows off just how fantastic they truly are. This album showcases PGI’s take on old school black metal efficiently and the combination of harsh riffs, guitar solos that have the ability to cut through glass, gravelly vocals and the album’s dark and sinister atmosphere work together to transport the listener to a frostbitten woodland. It’s cold today, but I’m hoping for snow so that stomp through it menacingly with this on my iPod.

The production on the album is very clear and crisp, but it doesn’t feel over-polished and it doesn’t take anything away from the overall grimness. Primitive Graven Image have proved that it is possible to create a solid, full-on black metal album without it sounding like it was recorded in a shed while using a bunch of tin cans and a bucket as a drumkit. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy lo-fi production but if you have the means and knowledge necessary to give your work a fuller sound then I’m all for it.

Highlights from the album include “Design”, “As I Wander” (some great tempo changes and atmosphere changes in this one) and “The Journey to the Forest”. I have to say that “The Journey to the Forest” is my current favourite – there’s just something about those drums and the screaming vocals at the beginning of the track that have hooked me in for good.

The band have since released another album, “Celebrating Impending Chaos”, which I need to buy quite desperately… and I’ve read that they are also working on a third release. I’m sure that you’re all now rushing off to order copies of “Traversing the Awesome Night” and “Celebrating Impending Chaos”, but if you need something to listen to while you wait for those CDs to arrive (yes, I’m sure you’ve all bought the CD!) then click here to download the band’s demo, “Hellish Figurines”. This is a free and legal demo that has been made available via the band’s official website.

Rating: 96%

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This isn’t really a new release, so I’m going [...]]]> Since Eastern Front will be playing in in London on Sunday (alongside The Furious Horde and more), I thought it would be a good idea to write something about their album, “Blood on Snow”. I’m full of great ideas, me.

This isn’t really a new release, so I’m going to treat it as a Re-discovering Old Music review. Although, in fairness, it’s not that old! Not that it makes a huge amount of difference…

“Blood on Snow” houses a collection of tracks that are at home on the battlefield. They are grim, angry and dangerous; dressed in bloodied uniforms and armed to the teeth. However, Eastern Front do not rely on sheer ferocity alone – there are also melodic interludes (“Dvenadtzat Kilometrov Ot Moskvy”), perhaps signaling a lull in the battle; or the calm before the storm. This results in an intense and powerful listening experience. The combination of different tempos and atmospheres make the album feel like a living, breathing entity – rather than a two-dimensional record that can be instantly forgotten about.

The riffs alternate between being seductively hypnotic and terrifyingly savage, and the vocals display an impressive range (this is particularly awe-inspiring for an extreme metal band). It would probably be clichéd to say that the drumming was like machine gun fire… but that really is the case here. Not only does it drive the music along and hook you in, but it also (once again) makes you feel like you’re in battle, hiding in a trench, gun at the ready.

Eastern Front’s “Blood On Snow” has the makings of a classic Black Metal album and is well-worth your hard-earned pennies.

Sidenote: Eastern Front are NOT a political band. I just wanted to make that clear.

Rating: 96%

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I hadn’t listened to “One Second”, or Paradise Lost in general, for quite some time (I think we’re [...]]]> I’ve had a few Paradise Lost albums in my expansive music collection for quite some time and, back when I was a whippersnapper, I worshipped at the altar of one particular Paradise Lost album: “One Second”.

I hadn’t listened to “One Second”, or Paradise Lost in general, for quite some time (I think we’re looking at around 7 years for that album). This wasn’t because I stopped liking the band, but merely because there is so much music out there waiting to be listened to, so some albums just got left behind. Since Bloodstock have added Paradise Lost to their bill for 2012, I decided it was about time that I reacquainted myself with them. So, last night I did just that.

When the opening sounds of the title track came through the speakers, it was like being greeted by an old friend. Although the years had come between us, we still had plenty of things in common. I found that I still knew all of the words. As the album progressed, I was transported back in time a good few years; remembering where I was when I used to listen to this album the first time around and who I hung around with at the time. Music has this power, unlike most other things, where it can engage the brain and bring old, long-forgotten things, to the surface. It’s a wonderful and powerful thing.

“One Second” marked a change in musical direction for the band; as they moved away from Doom Metal into the realms of Gothic Metal and played with some Electronica elements. Had I read this about the album prior to buying it, I probably would have run a mile from it – leaving a Lou-shaped hole in the wall of my local music shop. Instead, I bought this album knowing absolutely nothing about it, or the band. All I had to go on was a friend saying “hey, this is good”. And, I’m pleased to say, they were right.

These days I’m drawn more to Paradise Lost’s doomier stuff, but there’s something about this album that still has a monumental hold over me. The song-writing is phenomenal and on pretty much every track I find myself with the urge to burst into song. Yes, EVERY SONG. As far as I’m concerned, there are no weak songs on the album. Admittedly there may be songs that aren’t instantly accessible, but – with repeated listens – they really get the chance to shine.

Highlights include: the title track, “Say Just Words”, “The Sufferer” and “Mercy” (I love this track). But, if they play any track from this album at Bloodstock next year, you’ll probably be able to hear me singing along… albeit slightly out of tune.

I believe that next time, I won’t leave it 7 years between listens… that was far, far too long. I also believe that it’s time for me to complete my Paradise Lost collection by purchasing the albums I missed.

Rating: 98%

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Wolven Ancestry’s music feels like it has been specifically crafted for the winter months. It’s cold and dark and makes me want move [...]]]> I thought it was about time that I wrote another Rediscovering Old Music review. This time around I’ve been drawn to Wolven Ancestry’s 2006 release “The Wrath of Gaia”.

Wolven Ancestry’s music feels like it has been specifically crafted for the winter months. It’s cold and dark and makes me want move to the nearest snow-covered forest. Genrewise, it’s pretty straight-forward Black Metal, but it’s played with the such conviction that I feel drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Wolven Ancestry may not be breaking any boundaries, but they do pull you in from the very first listen.

The album opens with “Eternal Winds of Nativity” – a track that purely acts as an introduction, but builds an intense and foreboding atmosphere. Once that track has departed, we are launched into the frantic and almost barbaric “And Gaia’s Wrath Of A Thousand Forms Of Vehement Torture Will Be Brought Upon Ourselves, The Self-Destructing Human” (as you can see, Wolven Ancestry like their long song titles!). I got this album when it was originally released and “And Gaia’s Wrath…” was one of the first tracks that really sucked me in from the very beginning. It’s got everything I look for in a Black Metal track; it’s powerful and there’s enough tempo changes to keep me interested from beginning to end.

“Our Star-Guided Journey to the Realm of Neverending Life” continues at the same sort of pace, but feels more accessible than the previous track. I can’t imagine that Wolven Ancestry would have ever released a single (ok, they might have done – I have no idea), but if they ever did then this would be a strong contender. It has an addictive quality that leaves me yearning for more.

“The Fountain of Ageless Growth, Lifeblood Of All Who Doth Bear The Spirit Of Gaia” is just, to put it bluntly, phenomenal. I don’t know if it’s just me, or if most people do it, but certain songs bring certain words to mind. Secrets of the Moon’s “Ordinance” always makes me think “invinsible” as that song makes me feel like I can do anything. This track has a similar feel about it – perhaps something more like “triumphant” would be suitable. Yes, I like that! It’s triumphant! It’s difficult to resist the urge to listen to it on repeat for a while.

“A Mythological Anticipation Of Omnipotent Immortality Enshrouds Our Viscious Conquest” almost feels upbeat, if such a thing is possible on a Black Metal record. This song contains all of the elements needed for a very successful live track: there is a slight melody running through it, plenty of moments to bang your head and an infectious energy. Then, in the last third of the song, things slow down and it gives the crowd the perfect chance to raise their beers in solidarity. Or something like that. It’s a powerful beast whichever way you look at it.

A calm interlude marks the beginning of “With Northern Twilight Resplendent, We Follow The Moonlit Path In Search Of Habitable Lands” before it changes to something much more sinister. The pace is methodical and it almost feels like the song is stalking around you; waiting to move in for the kill. “The Paralyzing Human Fear Of All Which Is Essential To The Cyclical Nature Of Earthen Prosperity” is, in comparison, a far more ‘in your face’ kind of track. It pounces onto the listener right from the starting blocks and continues in this fashion throughout.

“Soon Enough The Capitarmageddon Will Arrive, And With Death Shall Come New Life” is one of the most intense song titles I’ve ever seen. The music also lives up to it and it demands your attention. This is not background music. “A Bloodline Of Immortal Passion Bestowed The Harmony Of Man And Wolf” closes the album as you would expect – in pure Black Metal wizardry!

Once again for Rediscovering Old Music I’ve found myself reviewing an album full of favourites. There are no weak tracks here, which is why I still get as much pleasure from listening to it now than I did in the beginning. In fact, I may even get a bit more.

Listening to “The Wrath of Gaia” has reminded me that I need to buy Wolven Ancestry’s more recent album, “Silence of the Boreal”. I shall rectify that as soon as possible!

To listen to some tracks from the album (as well as some from “Silence of the Boreal”) please check out the Reverbnation widget below:

Rating: 96%

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