black metal
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THISISNOTABANDSHIRT by Merchants Of Air, only available in March 2016
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For some reason, The Netherlands have been quite a big player in the black metal scene. With bands like God Dethroned, Heidevolk, Urfaust, Terzij De Horde and Unlord, amongst others, this country has always delivered high quality extreme metal. Perhaps it is indeed the muddy soil, as a colleague from another magazine wrote, but I think it has something to do with the rich mythical history of The Netherlands.
Today, I can easily add Cultus to that list of great extreme bands from Holland. This one-man project, formed by the owner of the Heidens Hart label is back with his second album, a bit of a reinterpretation of his debut 'A Seat In Valhalla' which was released eight years ago. Drenched in ancient Dutch folklore and mysticism, this album truly is a must-have for anyone who follows the blackened lowlands scene.
The album opens abruptly with blast beats, sneering riffs and spiteful screams. From there, 'Gezeteld In Zegeruïnen' rages on in sheer ferocity, a bit reminiscent of the Norse scene of the nineties but with an own identity. Although quite primitive and harsh, there is plenty of room for melody and a crushingly gloomy atmosphere, something which I've always admired in the Dutch scene. The riffs are thicker, not as sharp as with many other blackened acts.
There's also plenty of variation to be found, even though the whole remains an eerie and mystifying piece of work. Alternations in tempo certainly help but so do the massively immersive and almost hypnotic instrumental passages. Once again I have been pleasantly surprised by our neighbours. All I can do to end this writing is recommend this more than excellent full-length to any black metal fan out there. You won't be disappointed...
Serge
Today, I can easily add Cultus to that list of great extreme bands from Holland. This one-man project, formed by the owner of the Heidens Hart label is back with his second album, a bit of a reinterpretation of his debut 'A Seat In Valhalla' which was released eight years ago. Drenched in ancient Dutch folklore and mysticism, this album truly is a must-have for anyone who follows the blackened lowlands scene.
The album opens abruptly with blast beats, sneering riffs and spiteful screams. From there, 'Gezeteld In Zegeruïnen' rages on in sheer ferocity, a bit reminiscent of the Norse scene of the nineties but with an own identity. Although quite primitive and harsh, there is plenty of room for melody and a crushingly gloomy atmosphere, something which I've always admired in the Dutch scene. The riffs are thicker, not as sharp as with many other blackened acts.
There's also plenty of variation to be found, even though the whole remains an eerie and mystifying piece of work. Alternations in tempo certainly help but so do the massively immersive and almost hypnotic instrumental passages. Once again I have been pleasantly surprised by our neighbours. All I can do to end this writing is recommend this more than excellent full-length to any black metal fan out there. You won't be disappointed...
Serge