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░ ██ ██ Artist: Formicarius ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Black Mass Ritual █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-03-24 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Schwarzdorn Production ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ My first impression of Formicarius' first █
█ full-length is that they clearly have pretty █
█ technical riffs mixed with a lot of melody. These █
█ two things, for me, take away from their black █
█ metal roots I always heard in their single. That █
█ isn't to say that it doesn't sound like black █
█ metal anymore, but there are times when I get a █
█ more technical death metal impression rather than █
█ a black metal one. Maybe that was what they █
█ intended. █
█ Despite the genre crisis they seem to be having, █
█ it all flows fairly well. For example, "Overlord" █
█ has a lot of technical parts. Like there's a █
█ sweep picking solo. This is an interesting turn █
█ of events, as black metal doesn't usually have █
█ much melody, let alone sweep picking, but it █
█ doesn't really ruin the sound. In fact, I don't █
█ think I've ever heard anything like this, and, █
█ coming from a technical death meta background, I █
█ kind of like it. Granted, this song is probably █
█ the highlight of the album for me, not just █
█ because of the sweep picking, but because of the █
█ riffs. It starts with a very unique piano piece █
█ and, from there, it delves deeper into ferocity █
█ and melody. █
█ That's pretty much how every song on here goes. █
█ It's like The Black Dahlia Murder, Dimmu Borgir, █
█ and Origin got together to make an awesome album. █
█ I cannot think of any problems with this album █
█ (other than the genre crisis). I've said in █
█ previous reviews that I like to hear more than █
█ just one song within seven-ten minutes, but the █
█ longer songs on here are fine to me. Even the █
█ placement of the longest track on here being right █
█ at the end of the album doesn't deter me. It's █
█ like how Origin's "Antithesis" ends with a █
█ nine-minute song and Nile's "Annihilation of the █
█ Wicked" ends with an eight-minute track and a █
█ nine-minute track. Formicarius' "Black Mass █
█ Ritual" ends with a song like the previously █
█ stated albums. It wraps up the album, serving as █
█ a slow epilogue, finalizing the album by showing █
█ skills seen in every track leading up to it. █
█ As for the production of this album, it's perfect. █
█ The vocalist is raspy enough that it still has the █
█ classic black metal edge, but the instrumentals █
█ are clean enough so that you can hear the sweep █
█ picking, arpeggios, tremolos, and everything else. █
█ It isn't just muddled into one wall of sound like █
█ some black metal acts do. █
█ This is a very unique sound, in my opinion █
█ because, if you think about it, not many bands do █
█ this. Sure, there's Artificial Brain, but their █
█ music is pretty boring, lacking melody and █
█ originality. There's Imperial Triumphant, but, █
█ from what I've listened to, they lack melody. █
█ I've never heard a black metal band incorporate █
█ melody and technicality into their sound with such █
█ precision. Bravo, Formicarius, I'm excited for a █
█ second release and I'm usually not one to enjoy █
█ melodic metal. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Lake of the Dead 3:36 ░
░ 2. Overlord 7:31 ░
░ 3. May the Rats Eat Your Eyes 5:37 ░
░ 4. Under Darkness 3:46 ░
░ 5. Where the Gods Go to Die 5:33 ░
░ 6. Abhorrent Feast of Minds 5:38 ░
░ 7. A Requiem for the Bloodborn 5:00 ░
░ 8. Master of Past and Present 8:32 ░
░ 45:13 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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