#186
Cobalt - Gin (Profound Lore, 2009)
This intense record was one of last year's more pleasant surprises and one of the best indications that there is plenty of ground left to cover when it comes to United States black metal. Front to back this thing is absolutely massive and crushing, from the thunderous riffs to the huge sounding drums ready to crush careless skulls into tiny bits and pieces. But what makes it such a special record, beyond being so relentlessly heavy, are the many moods and phases it manages to swing through while beating you about the head and face. Much of this is due to Erik Wunder's absolutely stunning approach to his drumming, choosing to thrill with his rolling, tribal style instead of plowing through each song as rapidly as possible - an approach that can become very tiresome over the length of an hour-long album. It almost seems like the dark mood comes from what Wunder is holding back, not what he unleashes. Toss in some acoustic interludes and other sparse throwbacks to American traditional folk music (a vibe more than reinforced by the field recording of a prison gang on the hidden track) and you've got one of the more creative approaches we've seen in a subgenre all but left for dead by many critics and fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment