Artist: Priestcraft, Fleshdirt, Shadow And Claw
Title: Offerings From Serpentine Currents
Type: Album
Label: Digital / Cassette from artists and Fiadh Productions
I thinm what originally caught my eye about this three way split, as well as all the names being new to me, was that it was from Fiadh productions and something about the black metal aesthetic made it stand out even on that fine label. So yes this was all just ‘I wonder…’ kind of exploration. Two tracks each but a lengthy album due to track lengths from three bands from Boise, Idaho all of whom are somehow grounded in black metal but with, it turned out, very different expressions.
Priestcraft are up first. ‘Lithified Saints’ (damn that’s a cool title) crawls and groans and growls into life before a deep, dark and very doom/death riff strikes. Slow, heavy and with an atmosphere that gathers the black metal to it in a manner within reach of someone like Nortt maybe. That slow black metal hammered into the world of doom with a pitiless delivery that almost feels like someone is gloating over your corpse. Tempos shift a little but neatly and the occasional harsh light of glittering notes of melody simply accentuate the darkness. Very, very effective indeed. ‘Architecture Of Vermin’ rattles its chains as a choir offers us a lament which the filthy riff simply spits upon. It has a real pace to its subterranean rumble. Blackened death, Teitanblood visceral animosity and a baleful gaze with a twist of malignant enjoyment at the corners as it seems to enjoy the pain set out before it. The sound is terrific; thick and dirty and black as some fetid pool. Definitely going to check out their EP of last year after this.
Fleshdirt then take the stage. ‘Asphalt’ begins with a startling contrast of light melody. The song fleshes out with a dark, misty post black metal guitar sound as the vocals s cream sharply. Then the black metal gears up; a swift galloping riff shrouded in atmosphere and frankly a glorious drive forward. It swirls with an atmosphere suffused with ghosts, spirits howling and nightwinds spinning. ‘Specialist’ simply steps up and unleashes the atmospheric black metal from the off. More direct in attack than the first offering, this has that bitter edged storm feel that bands like Winterfylleth use at their most tempestuous. One foot raw as hell, the other commanding the blizzard with deft movement. When the melody pushes through it absolutely eviscerates me…. I just want to stay in that moment forever and the track obliges. Just outstanding harsh but atmosphrric black metal.
Finally we get to Shadow And Claw. And.. the best “WTF…?!” moment in forever as a huge, monolithic bit of stoner rock drops from nowhere…except the backwash of guitar is all lo-fi black metal and the vocals vicious, harsh black metal. I’m a little bewildered, no point in denying. And yet as the stoner/doom groove swings with the undeniable feel of black metal vocals and intent I just finally let my grip fall and go with it. When this track pick up you realise the stoner has been completely wrapped up in atmospheric black metal riffing for a while and only peels off again when the pace slows and then when it rises it blends smoothly and perfectly. And it rocks out… Ten minutes fly by on the wings of this weird hybrid. Damn. ‘Phantom Of The North’ begins like a US cousin of Immortal, all wintery sounds, slow blizzards and then that stoner sound hits before being englufed in some fantastic wintery blacl metal. And yet it’s still there, in the flow of the music. With some this ouwld have sounded like two bands vying for supremacy within the one but with Shadow And Claw they just feel so perfectly spliced together. The music shfts wand winds and twists until the they move from the stoner ebb and flow to the surging black metal with not even a hint of a seam. And, lord, when they song leans heavily into the music it it just so utterly compelling. Quite simply it works in a way my brain thought “No, you can’t be serious this is just…Oh. Oh…”
Well that’s an education.
Honestly one of the best splits I’ve heard in an absolute age. Three bands working in their own corners of black metal with precious little regard to anything other than quality. And I’ve discovered that blackened stoner is actually a thing.
This spil will cost you a little – because I defy you to not want to check out every one of this trio. Whatever they put in the water in Boise it ain’t normal. And that’s a great thing.
Gizmo
Offerings From Serpentine Currents | Priestcraft / Fleshdirt / Shadow and Claw | Fiadh Productions
Walking The Liminal Space 