Wall of the Eyeless - Wimfolsfestta [Demo] (2013, Self-released)

Sweden and Russia aren't exactly neighbouring countries, but still Simon from Sweden and SL from Russia found a way to collaborate through the band Wall of the Eyeless. Their previous demo, 2011's Through Emptiness, was generally well-received by critics, and thus 2013 saw the release of the second demo from the hands and throats of the Swedish drummer and the Russian string-rider slash vocalist.

Throughout the Wimfolsfestta demo unfolds dream-like melodies veiled in thick shrouds of colorless distortion, which only on special occassions lets anything shine through. A few holes in the curtains of distortion are divulged every so often, laying bare the inner workings of Wall of the Eyeless. The best examples of the duality of their sound is the folk-like interruption in Revulsion Fever, which in turn is taken over by one of the demo's best and most original riffs. Another example is the ferocious blast in Longest Winter, and at this point it becomes apparent that what gives this band appeal is this type of bipolar songwriting. The weird bends in the ponderously melodic introductory track "Flicker" leaves a small aftertaste of Inquisition's newer offerings, albeit with quite a different atmosphere.

The generally cold atmosphere of their songwriting contrasts nicely with the warm guitar sound, and while there's nothing wrong with the way they bend the instruments to their will it all feels a bit soulless. Wimfolsfestta is completely effortless in the sense that it's missing boldness. SL's growls are a bit on the hollow side, and while his and the band's efforts are at the very least highly consistent, it is a consistency that in the long run comes off as a bit shy and underfed.

This kind of Agalloch-inspired atmospheric post metal sound has really gained ground in these last few years with everyone pairing it with a genre and calling it progressive. The parts of Wall of the Eyeless that are actually death metal are mostly incredibly well-crafted, but the atmospheric parts on the other hand often come off as lazy attempts at a melodic approach that are, for the most part, poorly executed and bland. Some bands are experts in utilizing these riff types to their utmost extent, but with Wall of the Eyeless I feel it is poorly implemented. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Flicker
2. The Longest Winter
3. Revulsion Fever
4. Piercing Mist

Visit Wall of the Eyeless on Facebook and Bandcamp

Trou Noir - Echoes in Black Holes [Demo] (2011, Eerie Torture)

It hasn't taken long for Trou Noir to produce their first demo. Released the same year the band was formed, Echoes in Black Holes is an international effort consisting of Worbid and Monork from Russia and Dunkel supplying the vocals from France. The internet has made it possible for musicians from all over the world to easily collaborate and create diverse variations of genres that are otherwise often heavily coloured by its regional scene. Between them the three members of Trou Noir - or "Black Hole" in French - have been in at least nine bands that have collectively released in excess of fifty demos, EPs, splits and albums, meaning that this unholy trinity are at least in some way seasoned musicians.

A vital element within Echoes in Black Holes is the way they utilize ambience. Monork's arpeggiated notes form the backbone of the demo with the minimalistic drumming of Worbid providing the rhythmic coherence. The two usher in the raw vocals of Dunkel, which bear a striking resemblance to those of Varg Vikernes on Det Som Engang Var. The transitions between the ten tracks on Trou Noir's first demo are seamless and immaculate, making the whole demo coalesce with each element being consistently integrated without much effort. Each track neatly segues from cold and melancholic melodies to more ambience-laden passages with the arpeggiated notes working to add depth to the music. To continue the Burzum analogy; If the vocals are Det Som Engang Var, the music itself is closer to Filosofem or Hlidskjalf, but without opting for the same droning approach.

Any music enthusiast will know that it's hard to get riled up if the musicians delivering the music aren't engaging about their business and deliver their tunes in a convincing way. Accusing Darkspace's first demo from 2002 of being varied, extravagant or musically eloquent seems almost an insult, and yet Darkspace have become a modern day cult in themselves. Their music is droning and monotone, but it works extraordinarily with the monotony becoming the main attraction which makes it all the more hypnotic. You might be wondering why I'm talking about Darkspace rather than Trou Noir, but when it comes to spacy ambient, atmospheric black metal a band such as Darkspace automatically becomes the standard to which similar bands are held, and while Trou Noir and Darkspace have only minute elements in common, it seems as a necessary comparison to make. Trou Noir have opted for that very style, yet deliver their music with total abandon and insincerity. I can feel they're going for a trippy, psychedelic feel with the drawn out drum sequences and almost randomly picked guitar notes, but it becomes stale and unhypnotic in the execution process. There are a few good riffs once in a while, with the main riff in Black Hole Reverb being the prime example, and the vocals seem to generally be held to a higher standard than the rest of the demo, but all in all it feels like most songs are written the way they are for the sake of consistency rather than actually contributing a memorable element to the release as a whole. Their songwriting makes it very hard to remember any one moment on the demo, which in itself isn't inherently bad as proven by similar groups, but it becomes a fundamental problem when there is nothing else to remember the band or demo by.

My problem is that the demo is too long for such an ineffective delivery of stale ideas. Darkspace got it right when they released their demo in 2002 featuring 25 minutes of their trademark spacey black metal, consisting of little other than spaced out walls of distorted guitar accompanied by ferocious blast beats. Echoes in Black Holes is overflowing with poorly executed melancholy that misses its target by a wide margin. The cover art made a promise of better things - It made a promise of cosmic black metal engulfed in the cold, galactic aspects that this sound usually brings with it, but it was a promise it could not keep. The atmosphere is bedroomy rather than spacy, which is what primarily sets it apart from the great ones within the genre. Instead of going exploring within the psychedelic possibilites of their chosen style, they follow a linear path which doesn't suit their sound terribly well. 4/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Funeral Echoes (Part I)
2. Defective Reflections
3. The Tree Into the Void
4. Somnambulistic Searchers
5. The Denying of Being
6. Black Hole Reverb
7. Nihilistic Moon
8. Echoes in Mirrors
9. March of Leprous
10. Funeral Echoes (Part II)

Visit Eerie Torture's official website

Inferius Torment - Ceremony of Godslaying [Full length] (2012, World Terror Committee)

First impressions have always been important to me when I listen to a band. While some albums or bands grow on me with time some never really do anything for me, and I will almost always be more inticed to further listening if the first impression is great. With Inferius Torment I was expecting boring text book black metal. After all, with a name like that it's bound to be one big cliché, right? Well, sort of. There's nothing new under the sun regarding the songwriting on Ceremony of Godslaying, but then again it's probably some of the best blastbeat based black metal I've heard in recent years.

Ceremony of Godslaying is the Russian band's second full length effort. I find that the second album from a band is often a watered down version of the first album, but I'm having trouble seeing how this could be watered down from anything. It simply is that solid. It's got great vocals, a crystal clear production, drums that are fast and tighter than a nun and incredibly memorable riffs. In short, everything a black metal album of this type needs. Ceremony of Godslaying from 2012 appeals to me as a fan of Marduk, 1349, Gorgoroth and Dark Funeral and I've found that in regards to songwriting tracks like Diabolical Perversity and Funeral of Christian God fully measure up to classics such as Panzer Division Marduk, My Funeral, Procreating Satan or I Am Abomination.

Inferius Torment never lets their guard down. From start to finish Ceremony of Godslaying is a satanic torrent of blast beats, tremolo riffs and spewing hatred. Their recipe for destruction is simple yet effective, and during the almost 40 minutes that make up this album that recipe never grows stale. 8/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Agnus Dei
2. Evangelical Key
3. Diabolical Perversity
4. Sola Scriptura
5. Archangel Seals
6. Evil Manifestos of Satan
7. Funeral of the Christian God
8. Unbaptized Flames

INFERIUS TORMENT official site
World Terror Committee official site

Grenouer - Computer Crime [EP] (2011, Copro Records)

The Russians have become a larger and larger part of the international music scene during the last decade or so. Especially slam bands like Abominable Putridity, Katalepsy and Abnormity have become well known throughout the world, but Grenouer, a band with its roots in hard rock and modern heavy metal, are also part of the growing Russian metal scene.

Grenouer is a rather interesting band. They've been part of Russia's metal scene since 1992, where they started out playing a genre very unlike the turn they took later. They started out as a death/thrash metal band and have several full lengths, splits and EPs in their quite formidable catalogue, but have gained limited global recognition.

One must ask, is there room for yet another band that goes back to the very roots of metal? Yes and no. No because there already are a literal horde of 80's revivalist bands and old school metal bands, and even 70's progressive rock has had a resurgence in today's metal scene. However Grenouer, though they aren't exactly reinventing the spoon, could very well be something many have been looking for. Their approach to heavy metal is a far heavier and modern one than many of their brothers, while still leaving room for melodic vocals and sombre interludes.

Especially the collected guitar work of Igor and Alexander in the Russian band brings a very heavy outlook to a genre otherwise tried through, giving additional life to the time tested formular. While the band's efforts have the feet planted firmly in the soil of heavy metal they also lean heavily on the sounds of 90's NU metal, metalcore and even djent in some parts.

Though I've given them much praise I must admit that I find it hard to really thoroughly enjoy their EP "Computer Crime". The song "Fix Your Life" is by far the most enjoyable track of the five, because it has the most variation and the greatest guitar and drum work on the entire EP, and especially because it doesn't resort to melodic intermezzos when things get rough. Grenouer isn't a metal band in the traditional sense as they take so many elements from related genres, and I could imagine this would mean many people end up in the same situation as me: It's either too heavy or not heavy enough. Rock fans would enjoy parts of the EP, while metal fans would enjoy other parts. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Last Stop
2. Rejected
3. See no Sun
4. Fix Your Life
5. Golden Years

GRENOUER official site
Copro Records official site