I Shalt Become - Wanderings
On 1996's Wanderings, I Shalt Become has a production that is more raw than your typical Black Metal release, but it captures the masterpiece in all of its organic glory. This American one man project is very obvious its influences, namely Norway's Burzum and France's Mutilation. The influence of I Shalt Become cannot be denied, it forged the American style of depressive Black Metal and gave birth to the likes of Xasthur, Draugar and Leviathan. The songs on this album are repetitive, hypnotizing and dissonant. The soundscapes of loneliness and misery pervade through every track.
The vocals are very low in the mix, in this effort the vocals add mroe of a dismal ambience rather than dominating the music and becoming a focal point. At certain points during Wanderings the vocals take an extended leave of absence and leave the listener to dwell, to figure out the meaning of the particular chord progression elegantly masqueraded by dissonance and distortion. The drums are very simplistic and sort of "exist" without adding or deterring much from the music, while the bass follows suit and finds itself comfortably in the pocket. The main contributions of the bass in this release is eading into key changes.
Each songs fits well into the grand scheme of this album, but when examined on their own they appear to be fragments of the other songs. I Shalt Become differs from the vast array of Burzum clones in that, while he uses Burzum as a medium, the work is fueled by his emotive reckoning and quickly becomes his own art. Wanderings was originally released in 1996, but it was rereleased in 1998 by Moribund Records with the Burzum and Judas Iscariot covers. This album is a must have for any black fan, whether an enthusiast or casual listener!
The vocals are very low in the mix, in this effort the vocals add mroe of a dismal ambience rather than dominating the music and becoming a focal point. At certain points during Wanderings the vocals take an extended leave of absence and leave the listener to dwell, to figure out the meaning of the particular chord progression elegantly masqueraded by dissonance and distortion. The drums are very simplistic and sort of "exist" without adding or deterring much from the music, while the bass follows suit and finds itself comfortably in the pocket. The main contributions of the bass in this release is eading into key changes.
Each songs fits well into the grand scheme of this album, but when examined on their own they appear to be fragments of the other songs. I Shalt Become differs from the vast array of Burzum clones in that, while he uses Burzum as a medium, the work is fueled by his emotive reckoning and quickly becomes his own art. Wanderings was originally released in 1996, but it was rereleased in 1998 by Moribund Records with the Burzum and Judas Iscariot covers. This album is a must have for any black fan, whether an enthusiast or casual listener!
- Intro
- Fragments
- The Funeral Rain
- Winter Light
- Paintings In A Gallery
- Labyrinthine
- Thorns
- Insects
- Her Demons
- A Once Great Man
- Outtro
- En Ringe Til Aa Herske (BURZUM cover)
- The Heavens Drop With Human Gore (JUDAS ISCARIOT cover)
- I Filled With Woes The Passing Wind (JUDAS ISCARIOT cover)
