Secrets Of The Moon - Antithesis
Lupus Lounge - Wolf 015 - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Now this is more like it. Anyone who's cast a glance at the six reviews below this one will no doubt have realised that I got a pretty average crop of CDs to review with this batch. There were only two real standouts, and one of those (Vader - Impressions In Blood, in case you care) was already reviewed. Damn you, Oinkness. Oh well - the other standout is this - German progressive black metal act Secrets Of The Moon's latest release. And by 'standout', I mean, 'this is how I wish the last Enslaved album had sounded'.
Yeah, that got your attention, didn't it? Well, it's true - listening to Antithesis made me realise how much better Ruun could have been. Just replace the more overt 70s prog elements with clever, unconventional song structures, hypnotic riffage, and a dark and suffocating atmosphere, and you're close to what Secrets Of The Moon have achieved here. Listen, for instance, to the blastbeat savagery of the opening of 'Ordinance', initially cleverly offset with a clean guitar melody, then superceded by a stomping, mid-tempo passage, then spiralling into a thrash-heavy vortex. And that's in the first minute and a half. Listen also to 'Seraphim is Dead', an album highlight particularly because of its especiallly chilling chorus sections.
Even the short instrumentals that bookend the album are impressive in themselves - 'Exit' boasts some nice hammer-on riffage, in particular. The production is full and powerful, with meaty drums, thick but cutting guitar tones, growling bass, and clear vocals. Throughout the album are scattered moments that make you sit up and go 'Whoa. That was cool', and then repeat the album again. Repeated listening divulges further rewards too, as the intricately-constructed songs yield further details to attentive listeners. In fact, I can't think of anything particularly negative to say about this - it's an engrossing, captivating listen from start to finish, and a near-essential purchase for fans of adventurous extreme metal in general, and those wishing Enslaved would use more aggression in their songwriting in particular.
8.5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Secrets Of The Moon's Official Website
Lupus Lounge's Official Website
Lupus Lounge - Wolf 015 - 2006
By Philip Whitehouse
Now this is more like it. Anyone who's cast a glance at the six reviews below this one will no doubt have realised that I got a pretty average crop of CDs to review with this batch. There were only two real standouts, and one of those (Vader - Impressions In Blood, in case you care) was already reviewed. Damn you, Oinkness. Oh well - the other standout is this - German progressive black metal act Secrets Of The Moon's latest release. And by 'standout', I mean, 'this is how I wish the last Enslaved album had sounded'.
Yeah, that got your attention, didn't it? Well, it's true - listening to Antithesis made me realise how much better Ruun could have been. Just replace the more overt 70s prog elements with clever, unconventional song structures, hypnotic riffage, and a dark and suffocating atmosphere, and you're close to what Secrets Of The Moon have achieved here. Listen, for instance, to the blastbeat savagery of the opening of 'Ordinance', initially cleverly offset with a clean guitar melody, then superceded by a stomping, mid-tempo passage, then spiralling into a thrash-heavy vortex. And that's in the first minute and a half. Listen also to 'Seraphim is Dead', an album highlight particularly because of its especiallly chilling chorus sections.
Even the short instrumentals that bookend the album are impressive in themselves - 'Exit' boasts some nice hammer-on riffage, in particular. The production is full and powerful, with meaty drums, thick but cutting guitar tones, growling bass, and clear vocals. Throughout the album are scattered moments that make you sit up and go 'Whoa. That was cool', and then repeat the album again. Repeated listening divulges further rewards too, as the intricately-constructed songs yield further details to attentive listeners. In fact, I can't think of anything particularly negative to say about this - it's an engrossing, captivating listen from start to finish, and a near-essential purchase for fans of adventurous extreme metal in general, and those wishing Enslaved would use more aggression in their songwriting in particular.
8.5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Secrets Of The Moon's Official Website
Lupus Lounge's Official Website
))
