Torver- Witching Hour.

 Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows I'm a fan of black metal. I mean, I am sitting here writing this in my Black Funeral t shirt. I've been a fan of black metal since around 1993. I was 16 years old and just discovered bands like Absu, Master's Hammer, Havohej and, of course, the Norwegian bands. 

People now-a-days really don't have a reference for that time period. Black Metal wasn't really formalized into a genre until sometime in the late 90's.   That's when it became about just copying the Norse bands. Before that, it was a pretty wild territory. At the time, All 3 of the bands I mentioned would have been considered Black Metal.  No one really questioned that. 

Recently I got told by a younger person online that Mortuary Drape isn't actually Black Metal. Well, trust me that is a VERY new idea. Also to young people trying to tell those of us who were there at the dawn of the 2nd wave what is or isn't Black Metal, well, I'll just quote Aslan from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: "Don't site the deep magic to me, witch! I was there when it was written." (A Pagan siting a Christian author when talking about a largely Satanic music form? This is the kind of transgressive nonsense you guys come here for, right?).

So with that in mind, Let's talk about Torver. Torver are a UK band that until this record I had never heard of. Which surprises me considering there are several luminaries in the scene in this project. There are members of Ethereal Forest and Wreodan Healh in this project. I haven't reviewed Ethereal Forest but I like them a lot and you can find the Wreodan Healh review and read the glowing praise I've heaped on that one singular record. 

So, do Torver live up to the hype  of the members' other bands? Let's find out.

This is one of the best records I've heard in a long time. It IS Black Metal but its different. There's a reason I began talking about my youth with this genre. This record takes me back to a time when Black Metal was less formalized and more free to cavort in the shadows. Musically it has all earmarks of great UKBM. Within the notes and riffs lies an ancient and mouldering majesty that made bands like December Moon, Hecate Enthroned and, yes, even early Cradle of Filth so great.  There's something incredibly gothic about the interplay of the guitar with the keyboards and violin. The bass shines through occasionally adding a depth to the music that Black Metal doesn't always succeed in expressing. The vocalist has a spectacular rasp but also uses spoken clean vocals that adds to the atmosphere in a superb way.

The singular violin that is placed front and center on every single track reminds me of what it might be like if My Dying Bride were a Black Metal band instead of Death/Doom. It sets up such a wondrous majestic and melancholic atmosphere. It gives me the vision of what it might be to wonder through castle ruins on a rainy day; feeling the rain touch your face as you walk through old stone and rotting wood. Black Metal is, in my opinion, at its best when it is cinematic.  I only found this record on Friday and I have listened to it 4 or 5 times already. 

This will be in my top 5 records this year and is in the running for my number one spot. If you like majestic, melancholic and cinematic Black Metal, you could do a LOT worse than putting your money toward this record. Highlights: Nocturnal Serenade, Reformation of the Trinity, Where Angels Fear to Tread and Walk Alone.


https://wulfhereproductions.bandcamp.com/album/witching-hour

Bewitched- Diabolical Death Mass

 In 1996/1997, I was a freshman in college and deeply drawn in Black Metal but I have to admit I had become a little tired of it. Especially at that time, Black metal had actually become pretty popular and already started to morph away from what I loved about it. In just a few years, I would rediscover the black flame but, in that moment, I was ready for something else.

Luckily, I was apparently not the only one. As right after Nifelheim's debut a new class of bands began to rise. They were loosely classed as "retro-thrash" but really what they were doing was combining 80's first wave black and thrash with the darker sensibility of modern black metal. I fell hard for these bands and still listen regularly to them to this day. These bands included: Nocturnal Breed. Gehennah, Absu's Third Storm of Cythraul(still my favorite Absu record) and, yes, Bewitched. 

Bewitched started out being pretty unoriginal(the first track on the first record basically uses and inverts the song Evil by Mercyful Fate) and then grew to be kind of campy silly fun. I loved them anyway. They remained one of my favorite of those bands until Spiritual Warfare. So when I heard they were releasing a new record I immediately preordered it. I admit to some trepidation since most of those bands have either disappeared or don't sound nearly as good as they used to but here we are. So does the new record recapture the black flame? Well, let's find out.

I have to say that I think Diabolical Death Mass is their best record. Gone is the campiness of times past and replaced with a razor sharp focus. Vargher is in fine form. The ughs and punctuated high-pitched screams are all still there, as well as the Motorhead/Venom riffing but the difference is any amount of camp or goodnatured goofiness is gone. This record is bathed in black candle light and makes no bones about it. The themes are still satanic in nature but gone is any silliness. The lyrics are more focused and lacking the horror movie schlock of the lyrics in earlier records.

Beginning with an intro that appears to have an infant sacrificed in a ceremony to the title track all the way through Vicious and Wild, this record proves deadly serious and violent in it intent. Oh, it still inspires fist banging and headbanging but its more dark, deadly and razor sharp. Good and heavy with no side smirking in the delivery.

As I said this is the best Bewitched album and its a delight to get such a focused and heavy record 30 years after a band's debut. You should definitely check it out and , like me, plan to check out this reinvigorated Bewitched on tour. Hightlights: Diabolical Death Mass, By Satan Enslaved and Vicious and Wild. Its a great record from beginning to end, though. 

Hello

 I know its been a bit since I posted anything.

This is because of several family issues (good and bad) that have cropped  up since the beginning of May. Don't worry I still have more reviews coming. 

A new review should be posted by Friday.

Also if you're interested in post-industrial/ambient music check out my other project:

https://germtheory2.bandcamp.com/

Part of the reason for my tardiness is working on music for this project.

Thank you for reading and I should be back soon.