Aderlating - Spear Of Gold And Seraphim Bone Part I
Terrifying and mystic. That is the only way to describe Aderlating's third album. The entire album is a soundtrack of darkness and nightmares akin to bands like Karna who create hellish atmospheres through distortion, ambiance, and droning black metal so the listeners don't really know exactly WHAT they're hearing, but it will scare the living daylights out of them. Too mystical to be calming and too intriguing to be boring, 'A Spear Of Gold...' is a dark journey into the twisted soundscapes of ambient black metal, and not meant to be enjoyed by those who don't like repetition. Tracks like "Black Emperor At The Temple" and "A New Plaque For Every Triumph" are littered with crackling distortion and low, buzzing churning industrial beats that obsure everything. The drums and vocals, of what little is there, only show up in chopped bits, which works perfectly to the music's effect of creating a very trapped environment that is transferred on the listener. The drums can only be heard with the cymbals ringing every once in a while, which also sound like nails being driven into iron.
The only 'real' black metal track are the title track and "Engel Der Wrake," which are both still chaotically ambient, but one can definitely pick up the muddled tremolo picking and even what seems to be a choir layered in the background as it still obliterates the earhole. The vocals are tortured and just as obscured, much like how early Xasthur albums were, and the entire track feels like something off Blut Aus Nord's 'Mort' album, which was a highly ambient black metal piece, but also their most foreign. The tracks here rages up and down with little pauses, but the most haunting part is a moment of clarity where the vocals get a shot of just wailing away, like the individual is trapped in a dungeon. This is truly the apex of nightmare metal that Aderlating are going for in shattering the psyche. But there is some clarity. For a moment on "A Burial On the Slopes...' almost seems peaceful with how slowly it enters, only every so often getting a burst of static while the rest is spacey, creepy keyboards creating a dark atmosphere that is different from the rest of the album, but just as sinister.
It takes a select audience to enjoy this, but there is a hidden beauty within the chaos. 'Spear of Gold...' is darkly esoteric and difficult to digest; for the most part it just feels like white noise. But, it is a journey only for those who want to be enlightened in the harsher side of black metal that doesn't go for more of a kvlt sound in the vein of Darkthrone or Emperor or Marduk... many greats that have had too many copycats. For Aderlating to delve as far as possible from the mainstream sound is to isolate themselves in some far corner of the metal world, but many fans are sure to follow their path of wonder for a hellish good time. It should be noted that these tracks are long, but the ultimate horror movie ride.
The only 'real' black metal track are the title track and "Engel Der Wrake," which are both still chaotically ambient, but one can definitely pick up the muddled tremolo picking and even what seems to be a choir layered in the background as it still obliterates the earhole. The vocals are tortured and just as obscured, much like how early Xasthur albums were, and the entire track feels like something off Blut Aus Nord's 'Mort' album, which was a highly ambient black metal piece, but also their most foreign. The tracks here rages up and down with little pauses, but the most haunting part is a moment of clarity where the vocals get a shot of just wailing away, like the individual is trapped in a dungeon. This is truly the apex of nightmare metal that Aderlating are going for in shattering the psyche. But there is some clarity. For a moment on "A Burial On the Slopes...' almost seems peaceful with how slowly it enters, only every so often getting a burst of static while the rest is spacey, creepy keyboards creating a dark atmosphere that is different from the rest of the album, but just as sinister.
It takes a select audience to enjoy this, but there is a hidden beauty within the chaos. 'Spear of Gold...' is darkly esoteric and difficult to digest; for the most part it just feels like white noise. But, it is a journey only for those who want to be enlightened in the harsher side of black metal that doesn't go for more of a kvlt sound in the vein of Darkthrone or Emperor or Marduk... many greats that have had too many copycats. For Aderlating to delve as far as possible from the mainstream sound is to isolate themselves in some far corner of the metal world, but many fans are sure to follow their path of wonder for a hellish good time. It should be noted that these tracks are long, but the ultimate horror movie ride.
- Black Emperor At The Temple's Gate
- Descending The Nakara I
- Spear Of Gold And Seraphim Bone
- A Burial On The Slopes Of Mt. Sinai
- Engel Der Wrake
- A New Plaque For Every Triumph
Label: http://www.consouling.be
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
May 1, 2011
May 1, 2011
Next review:
7th Nemesis - Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow
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