I Shalt Become – Wanderings (1998)
Although the band’s affinity with Burzum is frequently stressed, we must add the important caveat that the band for the most part drains the epic and mythological element that is crucial to the Norwegian band (often stressed by its mastermind). The dynamic variation in pace favoured by the foundational Norwegian bands as a means of creating a narrative gives way to a more or less fixed pace for the majority of the songs’ cyclical development, often settling on slower rhythms. This choice is in accordance with the band’s purposes since, like many artists of its kind, I Shalt Become essentially aspires to capture a single mood, like a photograph (the artwork is a good indication) and elaborate it throughout the record, with every song and moment representing a given shade of the same ambiance. Each track gains form through a chord progression that asserts itself amidst a spectral fog of droning feedback, undergoing little change until the end, with equally unvarying drums fit for the languid and melancholic picture that the band seeks to translate into sound. As with all music of “atmospheric” intent, the premise is sure to alienate many listeners looking for a more journey-like experience; nevertheless, I Shalt Become proves one of the most successful attempts of this kind due to the artist’s vigorous expressivity and the clarity of the underlying vision.
Krohm – A World Through Dead Eyes (2004)
The craft of sole member Nunimas, Krohm is another distinguished US act that managed to rise above the level established by the many american artists that took inspiration from the norwegian models of black metal. Here, the atmospheric quality is a result not so much of a particular structure as of the inherently meditative quality of the riffs, revealing a meticulous construction and demanding focus in order to fully apprehend the experience that they suggest. It is for this reason that the music can justifiably afford to take its time: we can sense the intention of imbuing every riff with a meaningful weight, transporting the listener to the desolation of ruined monuments or nocturnal landscapes in an attempt to lull him into the same lunar intoxication that consumes the artist. A central melody is presented and then strengthened by a convicted vocal performance and the other instruments until it segues into a different theme that sets in motion the songs’ defining dynamics. Krohm’s songwriting abilities, considerably above those of most of their countrymen who ventured into similar avenues, allow the band to properly develop its melancholic journey, creating an experience comparable to investigating different rooms in an ancient abandoned castle and inhaling the mystical air that fills them. The conjunction of melodic riffs, subtle ghastly keyboards and passionate vocals creates a powerful and sometimes sentimental presence that with each passage deepens its mood.
Infamous – Of Solitude and Silence (2011)
A sadly overlooked project, Italy’s Infamous has been putting out consistently good releases at a pace much greater than usual; the first full-length album stands, in our estimation, as the band’s unsurpassed masterpiece in a prolific career of many splits, demos and EPs. To the framework of so-called “raw black metal” (with a correspondingly rough production), Infamous adds a distinct Mediterranean warmth which might be initially perceived as unfittingly luminous but through proper listening and meditation will reveal itself as an essential part of the whole. This emotional element emerges as the euphoric enthrallment over Nature’s transcendental harmony, in contrast with the ravaging misanthropy and despair that permeate the rest of the record. Songs run through a wide range of emotion, with the riffs obeying an intuitive ordering that usually culminates with a more sentimental theme before repeating the sequence (but not without subtle changes or transitions that greatly enrich the experience). In this way the complete picture arises from the synthesis of these (superficially) opposing elements, with every riff articulating what the previous one couldn’t by itself. The highly passionate vocals and purgative flow of the music further emphasize its cathartic character, leaving the impression of a liberating expurgation or sacrifice in the woods or a similarly liminal space that allows the unfiltered experience of Nature beyond the artificial world of human representation and mundane consciousness.
