Monthly Archives: February 2014

Funereal Presence – Funereal Presence

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funerealFunereal Presence – Funereal Presence
released by The Ajna Offensive, 2011 (black vinyl 10″)

Bestial Devotion, drummer and core member of New York black metal occultists Negative Plane, spreads his black wings on this solo effort under the moniker Funereal Presence. Much of the unique atmosphere of Negative Plane tends to follow the members into their other projects, as can be heard both in Nameless Void’s other band Occultation as well as on this 10″. This demonstrates that both members are crucial to the distinctive sound of Negative Plane but each also has some dark detours to explore that make for a worthwhile journey.

From the onset of the church organ intro “Zwischen Gräbern”, one could be forgiven for almost mistaking this for a Negative Plane record. But just like chess, black metal is often about how you develop your pieces and B.D. begins moving his for maximum efficiency right away. Never one to hide behind technical showmanship or relentless brute force to make his point behind the drumkit, when the mid tempo gallop of “Astral Serpent” finally kicks in it propels the unsettling riff forward just with powerful emphasis. Then unearthly vocals emerge from swirling reverb fog like bats bursting from a black void. As the song continues to layer sinister riffs, demonic groans and fleeting whispers, the track maintains a steady sense of development without sounding like one man trying to use all 24 tracks on his mixer in his bedroom studio. In fact, this casts off many of the stereotypes of one-man black metal with the organic feel of the playing, much of it almost sounding as if it were recorded live by a full band. Everything here is carefully thought out and orchestrated, with each riff flowing seamlessly into the next and atmosphere provided by bits of choral vocal, shimmery guitar and the faintest hints of synth.

The guitar playing is especially impressive here. Buzzsaw riffs harken back tonally to the glory days of Darkthrone, but overall are complex and inventive, being far from another Transylvanian Hunger clone. As one would expect, the drumming is superb throughout as well, as B.D. is one who understands the importance of dynamics and emphasis in his playing. The epic “Astral Serpent” is surpassed by the even more grandiose  “The Sepulchral Cold” on the B-side of this record, with many of the tones and sounds established on side A appearing again like reoccurring characters in a cryptic graveyard opera.

I once read an interview with Negative Plane where B.D. lists Mercyful Fate one of his biggest influences, and that is apparent not so much in the actual sound of this record as it is in the approach to songwriting. These two epic tracks (with their accompanying instrumental intro and outro) form a cohesive first offering from this solo endeavor. Originally recorded back in 2008 (and apparently given out in very few copies on tape, how blackmetal) and then not released on vinyl until 2011 when Ajna put out this 10″, we can now only hope that we haven’t seen the last of Funereal Presence. Thankfully we’ve had some great output from both Negative Plane and Occultation in the meantime to tide us over, which I strongly recommend checking out if you like the sound of this. A new album on Sepulchral Voice has been rumored since 2012, and considering the outro track is titled “The Shifting Skies Pt. I” I can only assume this is only the beginning of something even more menacing and masterful to come.

Cult Of Daath – Doomed By The Witch

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codaathCult Of Daath – Doomed By The Witch
released by Nuclear War Now! Productions, 2010 (demo tape)
It had been 5 years since their last record when Cult Of Daath decided to return with the Doomed By the Witch demo tape (their 3rd demo tape so far). While this may seem like an odd step backward after NWN! had reissued their double LP Slit Throats and Ritual Nights back in 2006, the songs on this tape make a strong statement of intent moving forward and hit with more focused power than any of their previous material. And given their love of classic riffs and atmosphere, it’s no surprise that they also love this classic format of release.

Doomed by the Witch is everything a good demo should be. It’s short and all the material is solid, leaving the listener wanting more. This band has always been classified as “black metal” but this tape is black metal in the earliest sense, taking their cues straight from Venom. This collection of songs sees a much greater sense of structure and cohesion in the songwriting compared to their earlier and more primitive work. The production is strong, especially for a demo tape. You can tell that this duo has taken the time to refine their sound in the 10 years they’ve been playing together. They haven’t gone experimental to cover up for dwindling interest or strayed from their blackened roots, so the past decade has been spent zeroing in on the perfect mix of 80s blackened thrash.

From the thunderous opening of “From Temple to Abyss,” you know these guys mean business. The song erupts into a solid mid-paced riff with the drummer’s double bass thickening out the sound. No bullshit triggers, this drummer plays in the classic style and knows how to work a kick pedal. The guitar has the perfect buzzsaw tone with just the right about of reverb. This duo even makes sure that the bass stands out distinctively in the song, being an instrument that is often neglected in the mix in black metal if not left out entirely. “From Temple to Abyss” ebbs and flows between speedier riffs to slower breakdowns and back again, all without breaking a sweat. This isn’t a band that needs to play as fast as possible to get their point across, they are perfecting the art of rockin’ black metal that Venom invented and so many others have taken for granted.

The first track then fades out into the subdued acoustic passage ‘Rumination I” for just over a minute before blasting back into the epic title track. A soaring lead opens over galloping drums. The drums break into a tight snappy beat during the verse before returning to the double-bass gallop that drummer Wargoat is so damned good at. The accents he hits in this song almost remind me of classic crust or Japanese hardcore. You don’t need to play blazing fast when you hit this hard.

Next we have the highlight of this tape, “Spell Thrust.” This is my new favorite song by these guys. It’s a perfect 80s banger over a tight d-beat with a chorus you absolutely want to pump your fist to. Finally they conclude with a cover of Profanatica’s “As Tears of Blood Stain the Altar of Christ,” a mostly instrumental track with a few guttural growls for punctuation. I must admit I’m not familiar with the original, but they make it sound their own. This is the most “black metal” sounding track on the tape, putting the Venom worship on hold to break into some speedier 2nd wave black metal riffs.

Nuclear War Now! always does a nice job with their releases, and this tape looks as good as it sounds: pro-printed cassette with 2-color screenprinted foldout jacket. Some people might dismiss this as a mere 3 songs plus a cover and an acoustic interlude, just some filler before another proper release. Don’t be fooled, because this tape packs a serious punch. All in all, a solid release for a “demo” and hopefully an indication of more good things to come from the partnership of Cult Of Daath and Nuclear War Now! Productions.