This cassette has only two songs, one on each side. They both average around twenty five minutes for a total length of fifty minutes. As such, this is not an album that should be taken lightly.
Side A begins with solemn acoustic guitars playing in the wilderness before the black metal comes crashing in. The production is astoundingly raw, sort of like Aylwin. However, they have problems with balancing, mostly in the drums. During their performance, they would constantly fade in and out. I'm all for raw production, but this balancing problem really bothers me. It's also quite strange as the drums are the most prominent element on this tape. The cymbals crash with absolute calamity, and each pound of the snare feels like a punch to the gut. The guitars are kind of buried in the mix, but they have quite a powerful melodic feel to them. The vocals consist of an agonized scream that would fit right at home with Cascadia's best.
Side B begins with some more acoustic guitars accompanied by a great deal of intricate drum work. The production on this side is a bit better as the drums no longer fade in and out at random and the atmosphere no longer sounds so chaotic and disorganized. The black metal stops at random times to bring us more acoustic sections. They're like the eye of a storm, a moment of calm before the black metal roars back down.
Although this album is a bit flawed, the music is fantastic. The notion of listening to a fifty minute long track maybe daunting, but it's definitely worth it.
UPDATE:
I later learned that the rip I was listening to – the only version of the album floating around when I wrote this review – was a low quality rip. Oops! Luckily, the band itself contacted me and gave me their personal rip of the album. The difference in quality was made apparent by listening to the first few seconds. The guitars no longer sound muddy, the drums no longer fade in and out at random times, and the finer details float up to the surface, creating a much more dynamic and powerful experience. If you wish to experience this amazing performance for yourself, then go buy a copy of their tape at Eternal Warfare Records.
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