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Release Date: 2004 Record Label: Barbarian Wrath Track list: Band Website: Amon |
Amon - Return of the Black Metal Never before has an album title been so appropriate, then, because this clearly is, for these Czech stalwarts, a “return” to the more blackened approach adopted in the band’s earliest outings. If you are still are a virgin to Amon [Goeth] and Czech metal in general (which you really shouldn’t be), expect literately rich and bold dark metal that references ancient death and thrash metal while retaining an overwhelmingly sinister feel unique to black metal. Also expect plenty of worryingly haunting melodies and a repetitious feel that infuses the work with a exceedingly otherworldly atmosphere, recalling a time when black metal actually awakened feelings of unease. What is perhaps most remarkable about Amon, and indeed, other choice practitioners of Czech black art, is their startling ability to convey a supremely dark, bleak feel without ever sounding coldly frigid in a Nordic sense. Their approach is of a far more oblique and refined strain than much ‘’grim black metal’’, managing to sound raw and putrid without resorting to grimmer-than-thou theatrics (or indeed taking photographs in the wilderness). No, this is a far more sophisticated and classy take on the first wave blueprint, projecting bilious spite while still emanating a profound warmth to the tones and structures within. From the unsettling tolling knell and witches’ cackling that opens the record, it is clear that this is a band that takes its fixation with the occult quite seriously indeed, the deliberate, impossibly hypnotic riffing and spellbinding rhythms imbuing a fascinatingly bewitching feel to the music. Dr. Fé’s vocals are MANIC here, FUCK! Here, this tormented Czechian individual has employed two vastly disparate styles, a more conventional black metal shriek and a truly guttural bellow, dual-tracking them to GREAT effect, delivering perhaps the most memorable performance in recent memory. Riffs alternate between the grinding, death metal sections of Zrozeni Smrti (sometimes hinting slightly of a primeval Morbid Angel as well as an early Carnage, as in “Orgie”) to thrashier, faster sections with off-kilter chromatics (“Chrám”), fleshed-out, deliberate, almost Celtic Frost passages (“Nezavý Mec”) and classic Czech folky melody (01:30 into “Mor”). Effectively, this is a GREAT cross-section of all Amon’s various incarnations up to this point- its unhallowed blackened days, its doomier leanings, its earlier infatuation with occult death metal, synthesizing each into one consummate and engrossing whole that references past, present and future with gripping fervor. The songwriting is remarkably professional, stuffed FULL of killer riffs and more deliberate, ponderous sections that celebrate the eternal vitality of esoteric Czech metal. Some ink should also be spared to the drum work of Mr. Dracul, who laudably plays EXACTLY what is required of him- nothing more, nothing less. Never complicating things with unnecessary fills, he plays precisely what is required to contribute to the feel of the song, instead of crowding the mix with tenuous quirks and frivolous ornamentation. Instead, he shifts between tempos with great ease, playing sparsely when the song requires it, while showing some creative hi-hat patterns within the parameters of the songs. In many senses, Mr Dracul practices a similar restraint to Inquisition’s inhuman drummer, his strength being his acute sensitivity to the demands of the song. Disappointingly, however, the bass, which formerly assumed such importance in the Amon mix, is largely linear throughout this album, merely replicating root notes instead of presenting something more challenging and individual. I don’t really know how else to put it- this is a necessary purchase for anyone with a passing interest in involving, well-written and mesmerizing black/death metal. It has all the hallmarks of a potential classic- great songs, unparalleled atmosphere, sublime vocals, immaculate instrumentation, a production oozing with personality and spontaneity. While it does, in part, recall the elements that rendered Call The Master such a classic, it also liberally makes use of the death metal leanings explored on Into The Shade Of Death and Zrozeni Smrtí to create a wholly invigorating fusion of both schools. What results is perhaps the most comprehensive and artistically accomplished summation of Amon’s career to this point, as well as another proud moment in Czech metal’s indomitable legacy.
June 24th, 2005 |
    
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