I’m feeling a little embarrassed right now. One big problem I am finding with the recent influx of downloadable MP3 albums sent to me for review is that most of the labels/bands do not fill in all of the details properly and thus this technophobe has a Media Player full of Unknown Artists with songs known merely as Track 1, 2, 3, etc. Now, it’s nothing new to see a list of tracks; some filled in with titles while every other one is simply numbered and as I listened to this seemingly infinite album, thought little of it while wondering why it was that it sounded so damned disjointed and yours truly just couldn’t seem to get into it. The time came when I felt ready to type up a [rather unfavourable] review and only when I came across a track listing on MySpace did I discover that I had actually been listening to two unrelated albums intermingled!
So, in the name of justice I had no choice but to burn album to disc and listen to these eight tracks continually in order to cast out my pre-existing opinions and give a fair review and all I can say is that I’m glad I gave the second chance it deserves. Now, horror is to metal what chips are to fish; sure you can have one without the other but horror provides an endless source of inspiration for gore-worshipping growlers, thrashers of the dead and witchfinders of doom alike. The idea of Lovecraftian metal conjures up thoughts of the mysteriously macabre and for the music to work it really has to project that vibe and atmosphere which was done brilliantly with Sceptic Flesh’s album Communion. That would be quite an obvious comparison to make as this does project a similar vibe and although not quite as rich in sound, I must point out that it’s very early days for Herfst yet.
This album does come steeped in atmosphere and with that element of mysteriousness. ‘House Of Twilight’ has an underlying creepiness and intense air of foreboding which fattens out the core rhythm section. There is a strong melodic death metal backbone throughout this album that should appeal to fans of Hypocrisy and Dark Tranquillity; ‘And Interest In Distress’ comes at you with a crushing wall of sound that kind of stomps along angrily before the dirge-like guitars offer a sudden portent of doom. The album feels a bit like a listening to a story, going through its various twists and turns and would surely be one filled with death and sorrow.
I really like ‘She Wore Death As A Shroud’ with its dark, morose chorus that contrasts the swaggering riffs of the verse which all kind of sweeps up into a horror-soaked ambience. This shows off some melodious guitar work and a romantic ending. ‘Vulture Feast’ is another track that is highly melodious and I can’t help but get drawn in to its majestic chorus. The clean vocals are a lovely feature; really rich and grandiloquent and offer respite from the deep deathly growls. The vocalist only joined the band shortly before the recording so I guess the band made the right decision! There is a feeling of melancholy that remains constant right up until the finale of ‘Serpent Tongue’ which has a wild and rather devastating array of guitars, drums and bass yet is tinged with sorrow.
The whole album flows well and Herfst have created a well-crafted debut that is a must for fans of atmospheric death metal. The album release was put back after talk of a record deal, which appears to have fallen through but with the quality of this album I can see them getting signed in no time!
http://www.myspace.com/herfstmetal
