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░ ██ ██ Artist: Hrizg ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Inferno █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2011 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-02-06 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Moribund Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD EP ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ It took about three months from Hrizg to unleash █
█ another beast of his. In May, this one-man black █
█ metal project offered Anthems to Decrepitude which █
█ was an enjoyable ride through ancient, cavernous █
█ soundscapes, and now Moribund Cult is about to █
█ release Inferno, a five track EP of similar music, █
█ running for almost 30 minutes which means that █
█ itÆs almost like another full-length. █
█ While Anthems to Decrepitude was sound-wise █
█ somewhat feeble (though I grew to really like the █
█ sound), Inferno has more professional production █
█ behind it, but not harassingly so. The new sound █
█ gives more power to the compositions that donÆt █
█ seem so remote anymore. Now that both drums and █
█ guitars have more flesh around them, Inferno █
█ sounds a lot stronger than its predecessor. █
█ Musically, I still find it somewhat hard to █
█ compare Hrizg to any other band. Not to mislead █
█ you, itÆs not that the band is anything truly █
█ unique, quite the opposite as the songs are rooted █
█ in rather traditional black metal, but thereÆs █
█ something in the sound that makes its depiction █
█ challenging. ThereÆs the usual black metal █
█ discordance added to the vaguely death metalish █
█ murkiness, and thereÆs a lot of lead melodies █
█ fluctuating between melancholy and menace, not to █
█ forget the careful use of synth mats in various █
█ places, and the moderately low-pitched vocals. █
█ The most impressive feature of Inferno is how it █
█ sounds as authentically old and crypt-like as █
█ Anthems to Decrepitude, it verges being magical! █
█ It doesnÆt kill the fact that thereÆs plenty of █
█ not-that-outstanding riffage therein, but the █
█ atmosphere is admittedly well done. Considering █
█ that this is a rather short EP than the almost █
█ exhausting Anthems full-length, I would consider █
█ Inferno a better whole than the album. Not much, █
█ but just about enough to deserve a half star more. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Hot on the heels of his sophomore Anthems to █
█ Decrepitude, the one man Spanish Armada known as █
█ Hrizg has returned with Inferno, a shorter release █
█ which is being dubbed an EP, but very near a full █
█ length album in of itself (27 minutes). As I █
█ mentioned in my previous review, this is not an █
█ artist who prides himself on innovation within the █
█ black metal sphere, instead writing in a style █
█ very similar to the Scandinavian masters like █
█ Bathory, but he also bears the distinction of full █
█ fluency in the entire range of core instruments, █
█ and it's never less than a wonder how a guy can █
█ play drums like this, snarl like a cacodaemon, █
█ shred through a barrage of high strung chords and █
█ even shift into some subtler strains of melody... █
█ That aside, I can sort of understand why the █
█ material on Inferno would be relegated to a █
█ shorter form release and not given top billing on █
█ the next full-length effort, because half of these █
█ tracks are rather forgettable. "Inferno I - The █
█ Awakening" is the least impressive, a straight █
█ shot of volatile Swedish-styled black at a rapid █
█ pace, recalling Bathory, old Marduk and so forth. █
█ There is a gleaming bridge nestled deep in the █
█ track's structure, but it comes too late to create █
█ any real variation. "Inferno II - To Yield Below █
█ the Frozen Sky" ranges from the same, blasted █
█ exhaustion to a slower, atmospheric elegance, and █
█ it seems to be the rule that all of the more █
█ mellow fare ("Infernos III and IV - Shadowshield █
█ and Ars Goetia") shows a stronger sense for █
█ melody, versatility and enduring quality, even if █
█ its not enough to pursue this release for. █
█ The closing track, the 8:30 minute "Inferno V - █
█ Conqueror of This Wooden Abyss", seemed to carry a █
█ more rustic aggression, with a mildly more rugged █
█ production, and I found this to be the most █
█ resonant and impressive piece on the album, a █
█ little more in check with the quality on Anthems █
█ to Decrepitude. I enjoyed some of the darker, █
█ grimier vocals he spat out over this one, and the █
█ thunder-folk finale. But again, it's not so █
█ amazing that I'd choose this over either of his █
█ full-length records. The production on Inferno is █
█ pretty smooth without losing its organic, evil █
█ qualities for any over-processed nonsense. All the █
█ instruments well balanced (even the bass shines in █
█ places), and Hrizg's performance (in particular █
█ his drumming) is laudable, but there's simply not █
█ all that much to distinguish this from countless █
█ other acts in the genre. But he could certainly do █
█ a lot worse than this. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Inferno I - The Awakening 5:02 ░
░ 2. Inferno II - To Yield Below the Frozen 5:25 ░
░ Sky ░
░ 3. Inferno III - Shadowshield 4:10 ░
░ 4. Inferno IV - Ars Goetia 3:56 ░
░ 5. Inferno V - Conqueror of this Wooden 8:17 ░
░ Abyss ░
░ 26:50 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
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