It’s a wonder that some people ever finds the time to sleep between their myriad professional musical engagements. Of all Frank Allain’s projects, Skaldic Curse is the one I am the least familiar, having heard many a compliment yet never having checked them out for myself. Nevertheless, when this sophomore album was offered, I accepted without a trace of apprehension knowing that I could expect something of the black metal variety and of a relatively high quality. I must say that I’ve been hit with a real slew of leftfield shit lately, not that it’s a cause for complaint, but as much as I do enjoy reviewing the weird and wonderful, there always comes a time when you just crave something a bit more straightforward and, well, pissed off. Something that simply lunges at you with that frozen ice pick and cracks open the cranium, instead of making it into a goddamned opera!
Well, that is exactly what this album does. Instantly it is clear that I was bang on the mark with my predictions; this is a frost-covered slab of black metal that will simply sweep you up into a wild vortex of bleak hatred and destruction that harks back to the simplicity and nihilistic fury of Darkthrone. From the off, there is nothing held back in Woundz’ passionately abhorrent vocals as he spews out a vomituous flow of revulsion so vile it would make Xasthur quiver with unease. Upon the first couple of listens this managed to blend unobtrusively into the background while I sank my head into a book, but after a half a dozen spins there were certain points that suddenly began to leap out at me…kind of like ‘pests’ I would say in my more facetious moments, but then that would inaccurately imply that such points were irksome. What really becomes clear is that this is no mindless exercise in repetition and that Skaldic Curse are certainly no mere cogs in the ‘World Suicide Machine.’
‘Worm’ writhes slowly along with a mellow kind of groove which ingrains some lovely guitar melodies that lull you into a near-somnolent state. Appearing mid-way through the album, this provides a welcome respite from the engulfing chaos. It is ‘World Suicide Machine’ that initially sparks my interest as the machine seemingly breaks down and a clean, progressive passage leads back into some manic heavy riffage before the focus switches on to a distant guitar solo that wouldn’t exactly sound out of place as an intro to a Testament album. Clearly this lot aren’t adverse to experimentation and there’s some influence derived from more classic progressive acts as the track spirals off into a scuffle between thrash guitars and off-kilter prog leads that even reminds me a little of Ihsahn, before a blackened tour-de-force breezes through and brushes all else away.
‘Genocide Storm’ comes squalling in with a battery of repetitive guitars that cuts through the general bleakness like a string of icy blades. The track carries a real cold, Northernmost ‘Blashyrk’ vibe to it that has me picturing the Immortal boys grimly cavorting around atop a snow-capped mountain. I particularly like the calamitous surge of guitars that are bluntly thrust at the listener out of a relative calmness.
If all that ice outside just isn’t black enough for you, and you are still not feeling the frostbite even after all that snow then this is sure to bolster a chill into your bone.
Skaldic Curse have dished up an atavistic slab of hate-fuelled black metal, offering a consistently progressive approach. If you think the British Isles has nothing truly grim and frostbitten to offer, then you seriously need to check this album out.
www.myspace.com/skaldiccurse
www.karismarecords.no
www.darkessencerecords.no
