Rating: 8.5

Country: USA

Release Date: 2006

Record Label: Metabolic Records

Track list:
1. The Psychology of Death
2. Under The Black Moons
3. Agony's Closet
4. Disfigurement and Salvation
5. Wither
6. Stained With Grief
7. Moments In Solitude
8. Colors of Despair

Total playing time 30:28

Band Website: Archaic Winter

Archaic Winter - The Psychology of Death

Gregory Maupin - guitars/bass/programming
Peter Hasselbrack - vocals

At the risk of giving away my age here, I can fondly attest to the days when obtaining free ear candy didn't entail a simple click of the mouse nor a free two second MP3 download. Y'see way before the internet became as much of a household convenience as say, microwaveable TV dinners or Tivo, the only tools at our disposal was simply a pencil and a piece of paper (Remember those?). No, people like myself weren't as spoiled and arrogant as the lot of today's Walmart bred generation tend to be and unlike them, some of us actually had to work a little harder in garnering the types of closely knit underground communities kids today would literally salivate over. Thus receiving a demo in the mail of the latest obscure foreign Death Metal as a result of one's hard labor and consistent effort seemed all the more worth it, especially when you knew you obtained something that you knew none of your friends have even heard of yet. Man, it was like literally striking gold! And the moment you slipped that cassette into your trusty tape deck, it sounded exactly as you had greatly anticipated; like a Dark Angel or Possessed tape after it was left inside of a microwave oven for too long. Of course, why such a tedious lecture on all of this you may ask? Well, this North Carolina duo have a genuine knack of conjuring up those nostalgic moments, at least for your's truly! Indeed, it's 1991 all over again (albeit temporarily) and those of you that still occasionally mourn the demise of such kult worthy acts like Gorement, Excruciate, and Morgoth then take heed for North Carolina's Archaic Winter does an impeccable job of conjuring up their spirits.

This being the band's first evidently official full length, The Psychology of Death comes across as a musical Edgar Allen Poe epic poem. Resonating with a cold funereal despondency in some spots while jarring the senses with a foreboding omnipotent presence in others, it's the sort of Death Metal album that leaves you with the same creepy, haunting impression as say, Deceased's monumental opus, The Blueprints For Madness did some years ago. Of course, credit must be given to the stripped-to-the-bare-bones production values (this is where I'll have to order all the Nile and Behemoth fans to leave the room at once!) which tend to lend a more earthy, decaying vibe to the guitars and already on the first song and title track, I'm imagining the members of Autopsy now as rotting corpses in a cemetery summoning other faithful minions to rise and follow their every beckoning. Even the more tranquil, contemplative melodic moments in songs like "Under Black Moons" and "Stained With Grief" seem to have a dismally suicidal effect on the listener due to the recording's lo fi nature. The vocals while not extraordinarily great nor excruciatingly horrible either, still manage to successfully maintain a cryptic presence that cut through the swirling fog of riffs like an apparition's distant bellowing through oppressive howling winds.

Performance wise, it's very simple but effective with rhythms ranging from a Celtic Frost inspired midpaced thump to thrashy D-beat Darkthrone worship (think Soulside era). Thus nothing in the way of technicality at all but rather a simple instinct to just "rAWk" the fuck out! In fact, the head nodding, toe tapping moments in the songs, "Under Black Moons," "Stained With Grief," and "Colors of Despair" tend to feel like Twisted Sister as interpreted by the likes of Gorement. Then there's "Agony's Closet" with it's densely layered surging power chords which comes across as Metallica (before the big $ellout) as interpreted by the likes of early Grave. Overall, Mr. Maupin does a very good job in incorporating his influences on his sleeves and more importantly, successfully utilizes his instrument to serve as a nice backdrop effect over unnecessary incessant wankery. Thus proving once and for all that indeed, less is MORE! In fact, I'd gladly liken his musical skills somewhere between a more tastefully articulate Tom G. Warrior and a more subdued Hank Sherman.

Though this may be nothing more than a casual glimpse into a bygone era, at least Archaic Winter are proudly carrying the torch and thus reaffirming this old geezer's faith. Hell, I could even feel all the hair I lost over the years starting to grow back!

February 17th, 2007