_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _
___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___
| / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ |
| . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . |
| .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. |
_ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _
\\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | //
\ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | /
. | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | .
| | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | |
.... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | ....
| ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` |
|.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....|
. ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. .
_____________:_____________ _____________:_____________
_ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _
// __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\
_ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _
\\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ ///
- -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- -
- -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ -
: : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : :
___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___
_\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_
/_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\
/// . . : : . . \\\
/: :\
/:: Artist :: Wolfswut ::\
:: Album :: Highest Honor ::
:: Year :: 2022 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CDDA . ::
:: Label :: Signal Rex R.date :: 2023.11.12 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: SIGNAL20 S.date :: 2022.09.02 __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. 251kbps :..
. Quality :: 44.1kHz/Joint Stereo .
. Size :: 71.37 MB .
. .
https://crucifixionbell.bandcamp.com/album/highest-honor
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 01. Fields Shall Burn 09:50 ::
:: 02. Atrocities of Forever 11:22 ::
:: 03. Master of the Sorrowcrypt 07:06 ::
:: 04. The Highest Honor 11:19 ::
:: ------- ::
.. >> 39:37 ..
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: This year, I've noticed I've grown into appreciating a more ::
:: melodic style of black metal. By that, I'm talking about ::
:: bands that put an emphasis on atmosphere, melody, and ::
:: sounding as triumphant and victorious as possible. I'd blame ::
:: Vothana for this, but in a way, it was caused by a ::
:: combination of various black metal bands I've listened to ::
:: over the years. And this is where we get to Wolfswut, who ::
:: just last year released their debut album "Highest Honor". ::
:: While it does get the triumphant formula right, I feel as ::
:: though it's missing something... ::
:: ::
:: The opening track "Fields Shall Burn" jumps us right into ::
:: the melodic destruction with a noisy post-black metal riff ::
:: that sounds very happy and triumphant. And this riff would ::
:: go on throughout this nine minute track, which seems like ::
:: it'll get repetitive very quickly. However, given the post- ::
:: black influences, it does feel as though the melodic moments ::
:: are shining more than usual, which further enhances the ::
:: happy atmosphere. The drums also have decent beat patterns, ::
:: but they kind of sound a bit quiet in the mix, and they can ::
:: feel off at times. The same can also be said about the bass, ::
:: though it's bass play is still good at following alongside ::
:: the guitars. As good as that track is, "Atrocities of ::
:: Forever" easily takes the case for the best riffs on the ::
:: album, as the riffs are so melodic, that it feels like ::
:: you're floating in space, which is pretty liberating. Even ::
:: in tracks like "Master of the Sorrowcrypt" where the mood is ::
:: more harsher, we still get those melodic moments to carry ::
:: out the track. While it's not full-blown post-black metal, ::
:: it does carry some of its influences to provide a triumphant ::
:: atmosphere. ::
:: ::
:: But then there's the vocals. When I first listened to this ::
:: album, I was convinced the vocals were done by Shahzadeh of ::
:: Atesh because they sounded so similar. The vocals the Astral ::
:: Serpent uses consists of shrieks and anguished cries that ::
:: Shahzadeh also does. But while the vocals in Atesh are ::
:: pretty effective, the vocals here aren't so. This is because ::
:: of the tone of the instrumentals. Going back to Atrocities ::
:: of Forever, the upbeat tone of the track doesn't flow well ::
:: with the shrieks to say the least, and it feels like Astral ::
:: Serpent is whining for no reason. This isn't to say that the ::
:: vocals aren't that good, though, as in tracks like "The ::
:: Highest Honor", the shrieks are more effective since they're ::
:: paired with more harsher and melodic-driven riffs rather ::
:: than the triumphant post-black ones. I should also briefly ::
:: mention the odd intros in some of the tracks, with the ::
:: second track in particular sounding like a ripoff of the ::
:: Caretaker's "Everywhere at the End of Time". They're not the ::
:: worse, but they seem out of place on this album. ::
:: ::
:: But despite the exaggerated vocals and strange intros, that ::
:: doesn't mean this album was bad by any means. I do ::
:: appreciate a post-black metal take on the triumphant black ::
:: metal formula, and even some of the Atesh influences are ::
:: decent at times. It may be flawed, but if you're hungry for ::
:: some more triumphant black metal, then I'd say give this ::
:: record a spin. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
\: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/
__\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2023 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__
\\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO///
\ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: /
:: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | ::
: :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: :
:: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | ::
:: | | \ :|: / | | ::
: : | . ` ::: ' . | : :
. . | : ::: : | . .
| :::....:::....::: |
: ::::::::::::::::: :
. :::''``:::''``::: .
: ::: :
. ::: .
.:.
: