I think it's safe to say that there's well and truly no shortage of black metal nowadays. Whether you're looking for new names, veteran acts, or those still hoping to make some sort of impact in their own little corner of the vast underground, there is something for everybody should they put the legwork in to find it. Even for those of us who like our black metal a little unorthodox, even just a little bit, there's plenty for us to find despite it sometimes being a little hard to find in some circumstances. Sometimes, though, it feels as though the universe intentionally delivers it to you. That was how I've been feeling lately with it seeming like I personally cannot escape the name of Verzauber whose first album has been on my radar. After finally sitting down and losing myself in its machinations, it's clear to me that I should've investigated this work far sooner.
I think it's safe to say that whenever a debut album is brought into question, the bar is not particularly high. Unless we already know that we're dealing with a musician that is especially deadly in its craft with activities in other bands, it's hard to gauge the potential of any band that steps out of the nothingness to present us with any sort of body of work. That was the predicament I had when venturing in what "Frankincense & Vitriol" had to offer, and while I still know not of any previous experience from the mastermind behind this immensely dense creation, I don't think I care. What's been summoned for this massive record cannot be seen as anything short of black metal that knows precisely what it was destined to become from the very onset with clear vision paired with a deadly understanding of the sound enough to propel the work far beyond many others at this stage in their runs. Unmistakably dense and with all the nuance that one could ask for in order to pull off an album full of tracks that sprawl well past thirteen minutes more often than not, "Frankincense & Vitriol" holds the very secrets to the fabric of our universe within its notes as the alchemical spells swirl before us as Verbauzer offers complete mastery over the black metal that channels those very spells to not just enchant us, but compel us to see this magnificent journey through to its end. Driven as much by intense riffage as it is by masterful songwriting and captivating atmospheres, "Frankincense & Vitriol" is a behemoth in damn near every right from its quality to its raw personality.
This is the kind of black metal that we could always use more of. Ambitious in nature but never once becoming lost in its own nuances, "Frankincense & Vitriol" embodies some of the very best for what black metal can become when its put in the hands of the exceptional and the talented with it simply not being often whatsoever that we're presented with a grand record such as this. I can only hope it's not too long before we hear from Verzauber again, but any wait should be worth it if a follow-up is to come even close to what's been put forth in this fantastically strong debut.
LISTEN to "Frankincense & Vitriol" on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Verzauber on Facebook here.
No comments:
Post a Comment