Release Date: 2005 Record Label: Alpha Draconis Records Track list: |
Misantropical Painforest - Winds Saturate With Inhumane Longing
The forest has, from black metal's inception, proven an inexhaustible source of inspiration- Ildjarn and Sort Vokter oriented their musical output entirely around the Norwegian wilderness, Arckanum presented a fascinating Swedish tangent to a primeval Norsk template, Nordavind and Nattefrost even took the liberty of celebrating the forest by dedicating their band name to its impenetrable mystique. Upon reflection, such a phenomenon is easily explained- as the site of original sin, the woods remain the origin of debauchery and decadence, where man can celebrate his primeval urges in nature's splendor. The forest is the ultimate ideal which black metal eternally strives for, its untamed wildness and variability presenting an idyllic contrast to the rigorous rigidity of modern civilization. In so many senses, black metal is an ongoing attempt to cohere this atavistic urge, deconstructing socially-constructed musical conventions in the interest of primally harrowing expression. As with every experiment, ‘'forest'' oriented black metal has spawned wildly varied results. With the (retrospective) interest regarding Ildjarn mounting to feverish levels, many bands have run the gimmick into the ground, the uncompromisingly minimalistic blueprint of ‘'forest poetry'' being misappropriated and mutated into contrived drivel. The parody of Impaled Northern Moonforest, after all, serves as sufficient evidence. A glance at the monicker of Kutcheck Gorealis' latest brainchild prompts immediate cynicism- knowing the Legacies Unchain co-mastermind's twisted sense of humor, one might be inclined to believe that MPF are but another thinly-veiled satire on a rather passé sound. As such, I feel it is CRUCIAL to issue a vehement word of advice here- disregard all the malicious rumor-mongering on black metal's premier soap opera (FMP's message board). This is brilliant, fiercely original and astonishingly accomplished black metal, a record which manages to vividly capture the mercurial mystery and magnificence of the forest better than anything in recent history. Much unlike the uniformly bare arrangements of Arckanum and Sort Vokter, Misantropical Painforest are an enigmatic and unpredictable proposition- opener “Demons Haunt The Forest” is an impossibly chaotic introduction to the record, one which aesthetically parallels the likes of Lust, Profanatica and Havohej. Squealing leads are cast haphazardly atop a nebulous mass of frenetic, bizarre Mental Horror-ish drumming and shifting discordant chords while Kutcheck's genuinely affecting vocalizations inject more desperation into an excruciatingly violent outburst. 'Winds Saturate With Inhumane Longing' is an entirely different beast altogether, a droning, unapologetically bleak epic that affectionately recalls the involving minimalism of 'Transylvanian Hunger' without the drab ennui of Judas Iscariot. In some senses, the angle which this track adopts could be likened to Isengard's unparalleled 'Vinterskugge', employing a repetitious, riff-driven, majestic approach to songwriting that firmly advocates atmosphere above frivolous whims like ‘'progression''. Just when you think you've got this record pegged down, just when you begin to think that you have begun to grasp the aesthetic aspirations here, “Past The Stonecircle Clearing” throws you for a disorienting loop, completely forsaking the trance-inducing repetition of the title track for a more progressive, labyrinthine bent. Riffs are thrown out with a reckless abandon here- the track opens with a mid-tempo, lofty riff that somewhat aligns itself with the previous number, then shifts into an ominously foreboding passage 01:30 through, transitioning into a thrashier passage that again shifts into something more folkish shortly after. There is a real spontaneous, almost improvisational feel to the material on this number, and to be ABSOLUTELY earnest, it doesn't always work in my eyes. A perusal of the lyrics yields substantial insight- this song is, after all, navigating the listener through a perilous journey through moonlit paths, one cloaked entirely in mystery. When “the nightwinds pull the shroud away'', the riffs assume a far more tangible, insistent form, the obscurity dispelled for more urgent rhythms and more linear riffing. The track closes on a triumphant note- “Now it's another season, and the powers are still here!'', the frenzied, malevolent rhythms echoing a rapturously jubilant, revelatory exclamation of victory. Fast forward to “To Bequeath The Tranquil Waters” and you'll be faced with, undoubtedly, THE black metal song of the year. Substantially more sedate and introspective than any of the material that has preceded it thus far, this track projects a sublimely epic feel without resorting to any 'Hammerheart' pilfering, Kutcheck once again exploiting the mesmerizing potential of the RIFF by developing a singular melody into a stunningly evocative, somberly reflective 13 and a half minute masterpiece. Opening with a brooding crawl and meditative rhythm, the track progressively gains momentum as Kutcheck's meandering ruminations (“It's hard to say….it's hard to talk”) gain aggressive force- “The trees are ancient warriors/ And now each of us/ Must ride on one's own might/ Not relying on anyone else”). Indeed, there is a profoundly warlike feel to this track, juxtaposed immaculately with a soporific tranquility that has, to this point, not materialized on this record. Here, the frightful uncertainty of “Past The Stonecircle Clearing” has been subdued entirely by the assuring calmness and clarity of the water. The sparse, skeletal guitar line and plodding bassline develops into a fluid, exceptionally warm wash of guitars 5 minutes through…fucking beautiful. Elsewhere, “Wood Chain Summoning” expresses an almost doom metal ponderousness, while “Journeying (T)here” is an admirably ambitious undertaking, a guitar and voice track that excludes percussion entirely to pursue an exploratory tentativeness mirroring the metaphysical whims of the lyrics: “Mobile, fluidized, assimilating with the wind/ Earthform becomes abstract/ Way of feeling released”. The music presented here is absolutely as fiercely individual and tormented as the lyrics expressed, Kutcheck dealing with the inevitable conflict between his yearning for the transcendental, the cosmic “mindpuzzling, defiant waltz of Infinity” and the physical constraints that restrict him on a terrestrial level. This anguish manifests itself in bitter, melancholic swirls of echoing guitar and cavernous screams, a great track indeed. As we leave the forest, we are once again greeted with the mournful chords of “Winds Saturate With Inhumane Longing”, this time resurrected as instrumental form and adorned with what appears to be some pretty unnerving flute playing. The whispering woodwind, spectral chords and shrieking leads that constitute the song summon voices of woodland spirits beckoning you to return…very eerie stuff indeed. So there we have it. My excessively lengthy dissection of a frighteningly vivid concept record. Somehow, Mr. Gorealis has managed to exemplify EVERYTHING I love about black metal, from the messy, filth-ridden crust of VON and Profanatica to the doomy psychedelia of Isengard to the majesty of epic Bathory and the desolate, despondent dirge of Burzum, all without sounding anything like the aforementioned outfits. While certain structures do get a little too angular/random for my liking, such complaints are corrected upon a reading of the lyrics, where Kutcheck's meandering train of thought justifies the sometimes rambling nature of the songs. As such, while some of this work radiates an improvised feel, the record itself is immaculately conceptualized and executed- each passage absolutely reflects the lyrical verse that accompanies it, cohering the thematic concerns inherent within each track. Yet, the disaffected aloofness of much black metal is nowhere to be found here- there is an emotional immediacy and very human dimension to Kutcheck's lyrics that are relatable and believable, Kutcheck yielding the leader intimate insights into the personal revelations arrived at over the course of the journey, lending an arresting sensitivity to the frigidity of the sounds presented. This will likely be an acquired taste, but give it time, and you will find, just as I did, that this record is a journey worth embarking on many times over. One of the VERY few black metal releases worth your money this year, and finally, a "forest'' black metal band that you can take seriously.
August 4th, 2005 |
