POARTă DE DINCOLO

Negură Bunget is often considered to be Romania's finest and most unique black metal export, and Poartă de Dincolo certainly lives up to these expectations. This 4-track, 28 minute EP is the type of release that will simply send chills down your spine and leave you constantly wanting more. Although this isn't the best entrance point into the world of Negură Bunget, it's a great EP that all fans should track down.

The music on Poartă de Dincolo should be no surprise to those familiar with Negură Bunget. Expect dark, experimental, and occasionally ambient black metal music. Unconventional instrumentation is also fairly common here - expect to hear instruments such as the Xylophone, Kaval, Frula, Pan Flute, and Tulnic (I'm not even sure what all of those are) on Poartă de Dincolo. "Hotar" and "La Marginea Lumii" both open up with eerie, ominous intros before building into heavier black metal sections. The synths certainly provide an atmospheric soundscape and are an integral part of Negură Bunget's sound. "Frig in Oase" is an ambient synth piece that is absolutely sinister. From the haunting chord progressions to the bone-chilling whispers and out-of-tune notes, this is an absolutely terrifying piece. The only way to fully experience this one is with a nice set of headphones in a dark room! Poartă de Dincolo closes out with the title track, which is probably the heaviest song on the EP.

Negură Bunget is a band that consistently churns out quality experimental black metal, and Poartă de Dincolo is an excellent EP release. This isn't the best entrance for newbies (that would be the masterful Om), but any fan of the band should be sure not to miss out on this excellent mini-album. 4 stars are deserved for this chilling, memorable, and breathtaking EP.

"Poarta de Dincolo" is a 4 track, 28:35 minutes long EP release by Romanian black metal act Negura Bunget. The EP was released in April 2011 by code666. There's been a couple of lineup changes since "V'rstele Pam'ntului (2010)" as guitarists Spin and Corb have left Negura Bunget to focus on their own act Syn Ze Sase Tri (who released their debut full-length studio album "'ntre Doua Lumi" in early 2011). They are replaced here by Fulmineos (guitars, vocals) and Urzit (guitars).

The music on "Poarta de Dincolo" is atmospheric black metal with ethnic folky elements and instrumentation. The vocals are raw, raspy and almost shouting desperate. The tempo is mostly slow or mid-paced. There's a an earthy and organic atmosphere to the music but also an epic edge created by keyboards. The sound production is equally earthy and organic and make the whole concept work well.

Personally I think that "Poarta de Dincolo" is a step up from "V'rstele Pam'ntului" both in terms of production but also because "Poarta de Dincolo" features less of those almost new age like elements that mared parts of "V'rstele Pam'ntului". It's a quality release this one and therefore fully deserves a 3.5 - 4 star rating.