'Old school' because of the production quality which immediately takes me back to the the old days, when recordings were done in a basement and not in a studio. And 'Old school' because of the intense bleak, harsh sound which reminds me of the old Candlelight albums.
First up is Grá, a trio from Sweden. They claim to play Scandinavian black metal and that exactly what their song sounds like. Way back into the old days with several tempo variations, haunted screams and fierce riffs. Their song 'Valitus Ja Kaipuu' is a mesmerizing piece of classic black metal and probably the most varied and melodic on this split.
Gnosis Of The Witch takes on an atmospheric, depressive approach to black metal. With an intense wall-of-sound and eerie atmosphere they delivered an overwhelming song. The passages with blast-beats are massive and the overall sound is harsh and caustic. This is delightful punishment for your ears.
This split is quite intense and immensely heavy. If you're an old school black metal fan, nostalgic for those days where you listen to copied and overdubbed tapes of Emperor, Marduk or whoever, you might want to get your hands on a copy of this 7". It really brings back those days...
Serge