▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Spitehowling ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Born to Die for Evil █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2014-05-22 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Dark East Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Reissue ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Spitehowling came to my attention earlier this █
█ year. I was informed that this Russian act hold █
█ similarities to Norwegian legends, Darkthrone, in █
█ particular, the early works. Now, we all know how █
█ coveted Darkthrone are. There is an abundance of █
█ æcloneÆ bands, or simply those inspired by the █
█ presence of the early works and their influence on █
█ the reputation of black metal as a whole. Russian █
█ black metal isnÆt an area of the industry that I █
█ can say I know well enough to hold an opinion on. █
█ From what I have heard, itÆs solid, but doesnÆt █
█ set the world alight with itÆs largely primitive █
█ style, seemingly idolising the second wave. Whilst █
█ I do appreciate the sentiment behind the record, █
█ there is a lack of power behind the display. The █
█ phrase, æbeen there and done thatÆ comes to mind █
█ when listening to this record as it dips itÆs █
█ metaphoric toe into the fountain of nostalgia. Of █
█ course, reminiscing about the second wave and the █
█ influence it had on bands both then and now will █
█ delight, if not intrigue some members of the █
█ public, but IÆm not overly impressed by █
█ SpitehowlingÆs traditional values which are █
█ limited in their display of affection for the old, █
█ and largely dead, second wave scene. █
█ If youÆve ever encountered fellow Russia act █
█ Branikald, then you have a clear idea imprinted in █
█ your mind of what this sounds like, particularly █
█ in terms of the lo-fi production, which is █
█ seemingly meant to have the same effect on the █
█ audience that the production æTransilvanian █
█ HungerÆ had and is famous for. Second wave █
█ descriptions and the connotations of that period █
█ of black metal can be used, and aptly, to █
█ summarise the sound of Spitehowling. Bleak, cold, █
█ grim and raw come to mind instantly. The two most █
█ important elements of this record which is █
█ iconoclastically entitled, æBorn To Die For EvilÆ █
█ are the production and the vocals. The idea behind █
█ both is to set up a system which displays the most █
█ unbearable evil known to man, this is done █
█ primarily through the production and the vocals █
█ which are, as the kvlt would put it, grim as fuck. █
█ There is a distinctive lack of variation, but more █
█ so than on æTransilvanian HungerÆ, this records █
█ bigger and better older brother. Towards the end, █
█ the blizzard like effect begins to run out of █
█ steam and the storm slowly but surely passes us by █
█ in a largely unmemorable effort. █
█ Much like DarkthroneÆs most infamous record does, █
█ æBorn To Die For EvilÆ establishes a lack in █
█ quality, in terms of production, to foresee the █
█ instrumentation and guide us all to the depths of █
█ hell by the hand. The vocals, like the production, █
█ establishes a blizzard like effect on the █
█ soundscapes, which captivate the audience and snow █
█ them under with an icy cold tremolo guitar █
█ section, inaudible bass for large parts and a █
█ varying percussion section, which is one element █
█ of the instrumentation that does differ from the █
█ idolised Darkthrone record. A lack of creativity █
█ and innovation is probably to be expect, even █
█ though it does contain more than itÆs biggest █
█ influence, but I cannot help wishing for more than █
█ simplistic tremolo riffs, double bass bashings and █
█ inaudible bass. One, I suppose, must appreciate █
█ the fact that the record does exactly what it says █
█ on the tin by offering up a heap of disturbing █
█ soundscapes and a undeniably cold atmosphere for █
█ sacrifice. It provides a well worked reminder of █
█ the deathly aura the second wave left behind, and █
█ does indeed rework a lot of old sounding material █
█ well, but the problems are too deep to allow this █
█ one to slip through the net unnoticed. █
█ █
█ Recorded in September - December 2001, except for █
█ "Centuries of Silence", which was recorded in █
█ December 2000. Mixed in 2002. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Intro 1:19 ░
░ 2. Last Catastrophe of Humanity 6:26 ░
░ 3. Until I Die 6:11 ░
░ 4. Napalm Dance 3:07 ░
░ 5. Centuries of Silence 6:21 ░
░ 6. Steel & Flesh 5:04 ░
░ 7. Bleeding Mind 5:15 ░
░ 8. Just Humans (Bonus Track) 4:55 ░
░ 38:38 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░