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░ ██ ██ Artist: Orcrypt ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Mercenaries of Mordor █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2019-05-17 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Iron Pegasus Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Orcrypt occupies that strange liminal space █
█ between traditional heavy metal and black metal, █
█ although the existence of two such albums in quick █
█ succession sometimes leads me to believe that itÆs █
█ larger than previously suspected. However, if Eye █
█ of the Pantheon was at home in 1984 or so, █
█ Mercenaries of Mordor is more reminiscent of the █
█ early 1990s, although its ancestry is more obvious █
█ than the actual recordings of that era. It also █
█ labels itself ôPure Goblin Black Metalö for what █
█ are presumably marketing purposes, but people █
█ looking for a new Summoning in Orcrypt are going █
█ to find something more conventional by far. █
█ On Mercenaries of Mordor, Orcrypt desperately █
█ claws for atmosphere and ambiance and creates █
█ songs of long drones stapled together by sampled █
█ audio (shamelessly ripped from the Ralph Bakshi █
█ adaptation of Lord of the Rings) and a great deal █
█ of guitar leads. ItÆs often reminiscent of of the █
█ blastier bands in the genre, but since the █
█ drumming and songwriting is generally of a █
█ middling pace, the rhythmic texture of the album █
█ ends up spacious in a way that deemphasizes the █
█ percussion. Besides the Bakshi, though, everything █
█ here has frequently been done. OrcryptÆs strength █
█ here is that they manage to pull a mixture of █
█ techniques and aesthetic adornishments from the █
█ air in a relatively organic way. Part of this is a █
█ pseudo-lofi production that is crystal clear (even █
█ the bassist is audible and prominent) despite its █
█ attempts to sound like garbage. It does, however, █
█ give them a strong foundation on which to build █
█ songs and make something valuable, but their █
█ dedication to that is spotty at best, mostly due █
█ to the emphasis on drone with limited elaboration █
█ outside the sound effects. █
█ █
█ Ultimately, this is a proficient but not █
█ particularly interesting record, especially since █
█ it exists in a context of bands that have done █
█ what it does more effectively. I feel like a lot █
█ of the problems here are explained by the █
█ marketing material. The record labelÆs site claims █
█ that the band ôàplays in the tradition of the █
█ early 90s underground, before Black Metal became █
█ popular,ö and generally cites the earlier, more █
█ prototypical works of bands like Burzum and █
█ Emperor as influences as opposed to their more █
█ refined peaks. From a stance of rawness, thatÆs █
█ all fine and well, but it generally does more for █
█ you to imitate your idolsÆ heights rather than █
█ their rises. However, Orcrypt would have to go █
█ beyond merely imitating either of these to become █
█ particularly valuable as more than a quick shot of █
█ nostalgia. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Where the Shadows Lie 5:35 ░
░ 2. Spell of the Balrog 4:04 ░
░ 3. Smaug the Destroyer 5:32 ░
░ 4. Beyond the Black Gates (Part One) 5:28 ░
░ 5. Witch King of Angmar 5:25 ░
░ 6. The Mace of Morgoth 5:15 ░
░ 7. Pure Goblin Black Metal 5:13 ░
░ 8. Beyond the Black Gates (Part Two) 4:18 ░
░ 9. Skuuls 5:07 ░
░ 45:57 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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