Artist: Orcrist
Title: We Come In War
Type: Album
Label: Apollon Records

Absolutely textbook, by-the-numbers lo-fi black metal here from this Northern Italian troupe, 'We Come in War' is about as no-frills as it is possible to get. It really does feel like the last 15 years of evolution and experimentation within the genre haven't happened as the raw and defiantly under-produced strains of the title track slither from the blocks. Orcrist deviate not one iota from the firmly established 'classic' raw black metal template - trebly-heavy guitars, semi-inaudible 'biscuit tin' percussion and a vocal croak that has been seemingly extracted from a man flapping on the gallows, all boxes are ticked. The riffs boast very definite melodic tenets akin to earlier Gorgoroth with the band opting to stick with a strident mid-pace for the majority of the record. This approach is typified by tracks such as 'Winter Might' with its reflective refrains whispering through the fragile production values.

At times, the pace is upped to a frantic assault with the punkish fury of 'Breathless' bringing to mind a little ‘Inquisitors of Satan’ era Deathspell Omega. In the main, it's competently put together with only the occasionally quacky vocals (which are mixed a little too high for comfort) blotting Orcrist's copy book. There's not really a lot more to say about 'We Come in War' to be honest. Rough as sandpaper, highly obscure and vaguely melancholic, it's a record that's about as original as its monochromatic faux-xeroxed album cover. If you are absolutely addicted to the 'Transilvanian Hunger' take on black metal then I suppose Orcrist could provide a quick fix of underground grimness. In all honesty though, there's nothing here to differentiate the band from countless hundreds of like-minded Necronauts worldwide and with that in mind, 'resolutely average' is as complimentary as I can be.

http://www.myspace.com/orcristhorde

Frank Allain

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