Don't let the name or vintage black metal lettering fool you- this is some good stuff. Authentic occult ritual noise delivered with a spicing of black metal imagery and roots. DEATHSTENCH like to tout first and foremost the fact that they forgo the extensive use of laptops and digital mediums for a "no bullshit- just gear" approach. The product is certainly intriguing. Massed in Black Shadow, their latest album, brings us a respectable spectrum of occult black noise.
The production quality is immediately apparent in the opening track, "Extractum Ex Infernis". Blasts of sound and reverberating echoes of distorted yells a là a vintage black metal album drive layer upon layer over barely recognizable "clean" vocals sampled in the background of the chaos. Almost too soon, the track ends- like an unexpected death, the track would have been an even more epic intro had it been minutes longer.
In stark contrast to the opening, "Corpse Upon a Throne of Wyrms" begins with a brooding synth and slow strumming rhythm. The creaks and groans of metallic noises bang and clatter in the background just as an infernally wrought guitar sweeps us up into the heart of hell itself. The distorted vocals swell around us as the track shows its true and awe inspiring nature. The sound here is unto the grim entrance of a black monstrosity of noise, complete with gasping screams and the massed chittering of countless creatures. A low tone of commanding vocals sounds out from the depths as the noises grow louder and louder, swelling with unimaginable otherworldly power. All throughout, the slow strums of the rhythmic guitar continues, providing an eerie juxtaposition to the indecipherable lyrics.
The almost industrially ambient opening to "Symbols in Warm Flesh" is something entirely new and fresh, rather than a continuation of the previous sounds thus far. DEATHSTENCH does this quite often over the course of the album, and the result is always rewarding and quite well done. This time, the track opens to the aquatic clangs and thrums of a shipyard layered with harshly whispered vocals. The distortion gradually increases as an electronic buzzing noise briefly makes an appearance but thankfully stops. The wind is picking up quickly, and with it is a rising tide of monochromatic screams of melancholic agony- metallic yet organic at the same time. The drone is there before we know it- subtly changed bit by bit via drawn out screams and distorted electronic samples. The effect is twofold- terror and a disturbing respect for this noise that breeches forth from the dark realms of reality. Like a tsunami of sound, "Symbols in Warm Flesh" ends quickly, hastily stuttering off into the distance with frightful ambiance.
"Circle of Black Blood", the fourth track on devilishly brilliant album, begins with a low drone and synth that quickly breaks into momentously stringed chords and echoing screeches. The guitars are more varied here- we can clearly hear what must surely be melodic progressions on the strings, rather than the slow strum of "Corpse Upon a Throne of Wyrms". The vocals as well are different here, closer and almost understanable, growled and screamed forth with a melancholic effort. I would not be surprised to hear a track like this on an old Celtic Frost or Emperor album in the Wrath of the Tyrant days- the effect is clearly heavily inspired by black metal. But is it any good? Certainly. "Circle of Black Blood" is probably my favorite track on the album- it's both melodic and ritually occult. The noise is there, and the creative essence breaks through boundaries through sounds both vintage and pure.
"Shrine of Viscera", the penultimate track, begins unlike any of the others- there's no sameness anywhere on this album. Each track could be a separate project unto itself. A drumming synth and crackling drone quickly lead into an explosion of vintage black metal noise. Growled vocals and distorted strings bleed into and out of cymbal strikes and the super-fast drum kits we all know and love. The track feels remarkably out of place on the album for its sound- but it still works. The opening is quite well done and it serves as a rather short (the shortest track on the album) opening to the final track, like the chaotic tumult that heralds the coming of the infernal tempest. The track ends in chaos and strife- as if reality itself is being shattered.
The final track, "Bastards of the Black Flame", begins with an almost orchestral string overlaid with a slimy bubbling and churning murk of effects. The silence is briefly punctuated by screams and slow strums. Here though, we have the slow mixed with the fast- melodies grind into echoing death growls and the slow strum. The brutally harsh vocals create an atmosphere of despair brooding darkness. The guitars are expertly mixed here (Billy Anderson mastered this entire offering of an album), providing the chordal progressions that complement the vocals and other effects perfectly. Even as the song seems to end, we are given a blasting chorus of sound. Shrieks and screams layered one atop the other in a blinding whirlwind of mad laughter, fast fading and leaving nothingness in its wake.
As a quick side note, something needs be said about the packaging. The six-panel case is beautifully wrought with symbols and imagery expressive of the sounds and misanthropic miasma that lie within. The seal of Lucifer adorns the horned moon of the cover, and the titled DEATHSTENCH in vintage metal font is frightfully authentic.
DEATHSTENCH has done something remarkable here- something not done to as well a degree elsewhere. The black metal and occult ritual ambiance created and mixed throughout the album creates a complex and immensely interesting swath of sounds and melodies. Even if you can't appreciate their black metal influences, Massed in Black Shadows still remains an accessible and downright masterfully done album. Darea Plantin and John-Paul Whetzel have certainly outdone themselves, and Cory Rowell's sample aid on the final track no doubt helped transform it into the monster that it is. I'll be looking forward to new releases on BLACK PLAGVE (a Malignant Records sub-label).
Infernally epic and amazingly brilliant, Massed in Black Shadow is a momentous achievement.
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