RESPLENDENT GROTESQUE

Well, this one took a while to actually click with me. But hell, it did, big time. Huge time. Mega explosion time.

What we have here is a band based both in England and Norway. It is a sort avant-black metal supergroup, with people from Dodheimsgard, Ved Buens Ende, and with such former members such as the singer in Arcturus. But to be honest, he's not really missed. Because Kvohst is here! Kvohst, British Black Metal singer, who was in Dodheimsgard for starters in their fantastic album "Supervillain Outcast"- really truly blows this out of the water. And I mean really. He displays here a fantastic range, a range I didn't hear from him before- and really does make the album for me. That is, not to say the music in itself isn't good- but with Kvohst the music truly meshes into something quite incredible in this album- some of the most memorable, beautiful, and simply catchy melodies that this album dishes out. It is Kvohst that serves it so nicely that I can't imagine the album without him.

So what do we have here? This is music firmly planted in the black metal school, and while I won't say that this album is insanely eclectic, it offers at times extremely powerful riffs and at other times some really interesting chord progressions and songwriting. But again, it's truly Kvohst's vocals that bring it all together. He will usually will go through banshee vocals to growling and finally to this croon, which bizarrely enough can at times remind of Morrisey. This does bring a very different element, a more melodic, though at the same times still very distilling. Kvohst usually also adds vocal harmonies to the recording and the sound is so full and well done that it can get quite beautiful. I feel as if the first song "Smother the Crones" is really a song that shows off the bands sound the best. A huge blasting beginning, impressive banshee vocals, and lastly, an absolutely epic chorus which wins me over with Kvohst's vocals.

With that, may I add that Vicotnik's bass is just superb. Usually he displays these fluid melodic bass lines that are a joy by themselves. But seriously the musicianship here is fantastic all around.

I find I want to keep this one short. Absolute must if you're a fan of the avant-black metal scene, but also perhaps worth checking out even if you're not, as the powerful melodies may win you over.