Enthauptung – Paths Forgotten

The Cascadian scene has had a tremendous influence on the black metal scene as a whole. They taught bands to focus more on the atmosphere, and they also taught bands to focus less on the tired cliché of praising Satan and more on the supremacy of nature. This influence has also been spread over a great geographical distance, going as far as New York, where a little band called Enthauptung has recently formed and released their first EP, Paths Forgotten.

As I said before, since Enthauptung is highly influenced by the Cascadian scene, they place a great deal of focus on atmosphere. Thanks to the cloudy distortion and the guitar tone, the music feels as dark and mysterious as the album cover. Stylistically, they're quite similar to this one other band I've heard before, but I can't put my finger on it. (I've forgotten more bands than most people will ever know.)

The musicianship is superb. The blast beats sound like rolling thunder and they compliment it with constant cymbal crashes and plenty of fills. Not only that, but the drums sort of remind me of Panopticon on their first album. The vocals consist of a harsh rasping scream that sounds quite similar to what you might find in the Norwegian scene. Best of all are the guitars. The tremolo riffs are the main force behind the dark atmosphere, constantly shredding their way through the night. Sometimes, they have a touch of melody to them, and other times the guitars play riffs that are more akin to classic black metal.

I don't know if it's the atmosphere or the guitar work, but there's something magical about this album. Although they're from New York, Enthauptung still possess that Cascadian spirit. If you're a fan of atmospheric black metal or any of the bands from the Cascadian scene, then be sure to give this album a try.

http://enthauptung.bandcamp.com/