Vanquished – Black Northern Storm
Krankenhaus Records – 2005
By Russell Garwood
Blasting their way out of the frosty reaches of North Bay, Ontario, Canada’s Vanquished play cold, harsh black metal. All the songs are fast paced, unremitting, and caustic. Semi-melodic yet always heavy guitars and blasting drums, with tight fills, are prominent. Under this the bass is rarely particularly audible, yet is well performed. The vocals show little variation, being a mid-ranged black metal growl, acerbic and effective, yet at times a bit of diversity would be good. And this is really the album’s problem; it can feel samey a lot of the time. One heavy, cynical black metal songs melds into another, and just the occasional stray from this formula would be welcome.
Such a minor quibble aside, Vanquished play technically proficient, and entertaining BM. The production is also refreshingly clean and well balanced for a ‘true’ BM band. Hence, if you’re looking for something new, original or fresh, Black Northern Storm isn’t for you, but if you like your metal blacker than the charred remains of a pensioner at their own cremation, it is well worth checking out. It is also worth a look in for fans of traditional BM usually put off by the production.
6.5/10
Official Krankenhaus website
Krankenhaus Records – 2005
By Russell Garwood
Blasting their way out of the frosty reaches of North Bay, Ontario, Canada’s Vanquished play cold, harsh black metal. All the songs are fast paced, unremitting, and caustic. Semi-melodic yet always heavy guitars and blasting drums, with tight fills, are prominent. Under this the bass is rarely particularly audible, yet is well performed. The vocals show little variation, being a mid-ranged black metal growl, acerbic and effective, yet at times a bit of diversity would be good. And this is really the album’s problem; it can feel samey a lot of the time. One heavy, cynical black metal songs melds into another, and just the occasional stray from this formula would be welcome.
Such a minor quibble aside, Vanquished play technically proficient, and entertaining BM. The production is also refreshingly clean and well balanced for a ‘true’ BM band. Hence, if you’re looking for something new, original or fresh, Black Northern Storm isn’t for you, but if you like your metal blacker than the charred remains of a pensioner at their own cremation, it is well worth checking out. It is also worth a look in for fans of traditional BM usually put off by the production.
6.5/10
Official Krankenhaus website
