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Reviews
- The
Channeling Void
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Holyterror.com
(USA) Tracklist: Running
time - 45:23 Metalinjection.net/ (USA) Metal bands often talk of war, but few actually sound like it. Amon Amarth and Bolt Thrower have built careers around war themes, yet sonically they only cover “marching off to battle.” The machine gun parts of Metallica’s “One” were controlled and clinical, which war is not; shootouts end in red and brown stains. The term “fog of war” describes the confusion of battle - uncertain identities, incomplete visibility, bad communication. Sauron’s The Channeling Void is the sound of the fog of war. Not to be confused with Argentinian, American, or three Polish bands with the same name, this Dutch black metal band would seem an unlikely candidate for such vision. Its full-length debut, Universe of Filth, was savage and single-minded: “Here I am, get the fuck out of the way.” Its follow-up, For a Dead Race, was unfocused, though, and seemingly recorded with a boombox. The progression on The Channeling Void is so great as to seem the work of a different band. Quite simply, Sauron has gone epic. The songs are longer and the sound is bigger; this album is like that kid in high school that came back after the summer having grown half a foot and a mustache. A dark, cinematic intro sets the stage for what’s to come - not a glorious assault, but a bloody, protracted fight. The band has slowed down somewhat, and added much variation in tempo. Blastbeats, of course, still reign supreme. But here they’re not pummeling so much as hypnotic, almost laidback. Add trudging half-time sections and midrange rasps (think Randy Blythe gone black metal), and you have an album that walks a curiously middle sonic path. That’s not a bad thing; in fact, it increases the record’s listenability. Channeling the Void is an album to hear in its entirety. The riffs are melodic, but they’re not catchy nor immediate. Often they lie in indefinite tonalities, requiring active listening to catch their nuances. Thus, these songs aren’t war anthems; they’re sonic depictions of the heat of battle, with guts spilling and dirt flying. The production is much to credit for this. “Grim” and “cold” are black metal buzzwords, and while the blasphemous lyrics are certainly “grim,” the overall sound is actually fairly warm. Ride and splash cymbals resonate freely, while bass lines move in fluid counterpoint to the guitars. The production is hardly polished, though; if anything, it heightens the charred, smoky atmosphere. No wonder Frodo suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. 7/10 Franang Zine (Fr) SAURON (Hol) "The Channeling Void" CD'07. 8 tracks, 45 min. Carnal. This third release proves that Sauron is now a serious band that stands for a B.M music without any compromise. The 8 hellish blasphemes unleashed here are without any doubts something of pure aggressiveness and fast riffing. Indeed, for start to end Sauron plays deliberately with a savage rhythm, using the blast beats on every song, which sometimes deserve them a bit actually. Sauron sounds like a mix between early Dark Funeral and Waitan, and more precisely they play what Dark Funeral should have played now if they hadn't wimped out. Their compositions are fuelled with hatred and ultra thundering vocals melted with a storming guitar wall. The clear and crystal production really helps this release to get good points here even though their music isn't that much fresh.
Nocturnalcult.com
(UK) The Channeling Void Carnal
Records 2007 Not to be confused with the equally killer blackened thrash metal band from Detroit with the same evil moniker, these blasting black metal destroyers, Sauron come from the Netherlands. Know my Word is His starts off in a mid-tempo, almost calm sort of way and then changes gears and unleashes its hellbent fury. This is sort of a hallmark for the Channeling Void as it virtually never slows down as the band blasts its way through the album. There are a few slower parts but they always return quickly to the hellish typhoon of metal shrapnel that shreds all living flesh with its intensity such as in Council of the Impious (Vicarius Filii Dei). With that said Sauron is not what I would call a "war" metal type of band as it is not nearly as brutal and chaotic but has a colder temperament that has more in common with the Nordic bands. Also Sauron has managed to bring some near melodic passages to the surface which add another dimension to the barrage of impacting artillery riffs assaulting the unsuspecting listeners with the most memorable example occurring at slower tempos in the middle stages of 7 before continuing on at a much higher velocity to close out the track. My favorite song is Crowning the Swarm as I really like the way the main riff kid of shifts and has a distorted and disoriented feel to it. The production has added an ample layer of fuzz and distortion to the guitars and cymbals that enhances the inhumanity on display with the Channeling Void. I am immediately transfixed by the paradoxically beautiful and subtlety terror inducing cover art that blends death and geometry into one symbiotic emblem of fear. Sauron paints a horrifying image of a devastated landscape through its use of obliterating riffs and merciless drums. Life has no meaning here for me. The music is so furiously ripping that it creates a nearly exhausting and claustrophobic atmosphere with its unrelenting hyper-hostility. Sauron are lords of black metal uniting shadowed armies of undead legions to rise against the armies of the white light, just like their namesake from the Lord of the Rings classics. They wear this cloak of darkness and destruction well. Musik.terrorverlag.de
(G) Schaut man nur auf den Bandnamen, würde man sofort auf eine Viking-Combo mit Tolkien-Faible tippen. Betrachtet man allerdings das Label (wo u.a. auch CRAFT und ARCKANUM vertreten sind) wird einem schnell klar, dass sich die Holländer nur einem verschrieben haben können: Old School Underground Black Metal! Doch auch bei noch so untergrundigen Schepper-Combos gibt es von Zeit zu Zeit Entwicklungen zu bemerken. So geschehen beim dritten Album von SAURON, bei welchem man doch leicht vom Gaspedal gegangen ist. Dies bedeutet nicht, dass man nun verweichlicht wäre. So ballert einem z.B. „Crowning the Swarm“ ganz klassisch kalt schrebbelnd, mit Maschinengewehr-Drums, fiesem Krächzen und einigen typisch nordischen Melodien mächtig den Schädel von den Schultern. Anders dagegen der Opener „Know my Word is his“, welches mit einem düsteren Chor-Intro beginnt. Schleppende, BURZUM-lastige Riffs und lang gezogener, düster-rauer Gesang verstärken die beängstigende Atmosphäre, welche sich dann in der brutalen mittleren Passage entlädt, um zum Finale schließlich wuchtig und hörbar stolz den Triumph zu feiern. Doch dieser epische Einfluss reicht SAURON noch lange nicht. So schleicht sich z.B. bei „Deformed Source of Creation“ sogar so etwas wie Groove in das an sich fett ballernde Black Metal-Monstrum. Doch keine Angst, ihr Szene-Puristen. Herr Aids & Co. sind weiterhin old school as hell. Denn auch wenn die Entwicklung spürbar und hörbar ist, nimmt sie keinerlei Einfluss auf die eigentliche Gesinnung der Jungs. Der brutale Sound ist weiterhin präsent. Kalt schrebbelnde Riffs, nicht ganz sauber abgemischtes Schlagzeug, brutaler Gesang und eine Produktion, die einer norwegischen Schwarzkittel-Kapelle mehr als nur würdig wäre. „The Channeling Word“ zeigt damit deutlich, dass Underground, Old School und Weiterentwicklung keine unvereinbaren Faktoren sind! Fafnir (05.03.2007)
Feindesland.de/ (G) ... mit
Vollgas gegen Kirche und Kreuz. Im Rücken
ein Demo, eine MCD und ihr Debüt-Album "Universe of filth"
greift die Formation nun mit ihrem neuen Album "The channeling
void" erneut an. Fazit:
Behindtheveil/
(UK) Aardschok (NL) SauroN This band from Tilburg releases his third full length. Remarkably this band has had three labels during this period of time. Their 2003 debut album was released by USA based Dark Horizon Records and their second album was released by Dutch Neurotic Records. Now they are signed to Swedish Carnal Records (also known for Craft and Arckanum). 'The Channeling Void' is the best SauroN album so far. There's more variation in their music than before, but the brutal aggression from the early days is still audible and hasn't disappeared, luckily enough. The influences from some projects in which the members are involved, like Planet AIDS, Bunkur and Abysmal Darkening, seem to audible on this record. These influences are not only to be heard in the slow down parts, but also in the arrangements. Just listen to the intro, or the weird effects in 'Secrets Divine', for instance. They give this certain amount of creepy atmosphere to this excellent album. This is apocalyptic black metal in its purest form, far better than the Dutch average. 85/100 U-zine.net
(Fr) A ne pas confondre avec les six autres groupes qui existent déjà, Sauron est un groupe de black metal qui nous vient de la Hollande. Formé en 1997, le groupe compte aujourd'hui quatre membres et de toute évidence, je ne vous apprendrai rien en vous disant que ces derniers se sont inspirés des écrits de Tolkien pour dénicher leur nom de groupe. De plus, il n'y rien d'extraordinaire là-dedans, étant donné qu'une foule de groupes ont fait la même chose avant eux. Après deux albums, Sauron resurgit avec The Channeling Void, premier opus produit par Carnal Records (Arckanum, Craft, Shaarimoth, etc.). Comme son
nom l'indique, le black metal exercé par Sauron ne révolutionne
pas le genre. Dès le premier morceau, "Know My Word Is His",
introduit par des chants grégoriens et des nappes de synthétiseur
inversant l'atmosphère douce et apaisante que devraient dégager
les chants religieux, on sait ce qui nous attend. Le black metal de
Sauron est malsain, dégueulasse, chaotique et brutal. Brutal
dans la mesure où la batterie blastant à tout va, règne
en maître dans cet opus et qu'à l'opposé de celle-ci,
les passages mid-tempos sont indéniablement minoritaires. D'ailleurs,
ces passages ne sont pas sans rappeler Immortal. Avec des riffs difficiles d'accès au premier abord, un chant black très conventionnel et une vélocité pugnace qui plairont aux amateurs de black metal brutal, le troisième album de Sauron, sans conteste influencé par les groupes scandinaves, a ses qualités. En revanche, en dépit des bons riffs et de l'ambiance malsaine que nous procurent cet album, ceux qui sont en quête de groupes à la personnalité très forte resteront probablement de marbre à l'écoute de cette galette. Note :
7 / 10 Blackterrormetal.com (IT)
{Mirror} Avevamo
già ampiamente ben parlato, con tanto di intervista, di questa
realtà olandese in occasione del loro secondo album uscito ormai
quasi tre anni fa. Firmato un contratto con un etichetta più
rinomata come la Carnal Records, con “The Channeling Void”,
la band cerca di fare il definitivo salto di qualità. Di certo
si tratta di un buon lavoro; oscuro, maligno e distruttivo, tuttavia
a livello qualitativo rimaniamo sui livelli del debutto. Il ché
non è un male, ma i Sauron sembravano poter essere in grado di
fare il salto di qualità che li potesse proiettare nell’olimpo
del genere. La cosa per ora non gli è ancora riuscita, però
c’è da riconoscere a loro un gran pregio: la grande abilità
nell’incanalare negatività nella propria musica: senza dubbio
“The Channeling Void” è un disco che colpisce per cattiveria
e potenza oscura. http://www.blazing.ws/melita/
(S) From the pessimistic melodicism of Dissection to abysmal Marduk-like relentlessness, Swedish metal often has a certain sound which makes it identifiable as such. Sauron fit most of the characteristics implied by this category, except that the band hails from the Netherlands. Perhaps the Necromorbus production aids in such a perception- still, the musical credentials are strong enough for this band to stand without associations to other entities. Vocals are a demented howl flanked by thematically united but dynamic instrumentalism, which perversely proves to be all the more oppressing on the listener because of this, especially during devices like the baffling progression of tempo on 'Secrets Divine' or the wobbling drone in 'Cognosce Semitas Meas'. Treble-laden sequences in slower rhythms highlight central areas of songs as reflective moments in otherwise hectic rush-hour pandemonia, while 'The Great Destroyer', which lyrically utilizes biblical fragments to expose the malevolence of the god from the desert, moves in epic motion to culminate in victorious fashion at the beginning of '7', and is consequently the best sounding part on this album. The reviewer
found some songs to be unnecessarily saturated with vocal performance,
where a simple chord progression would have been sufficient, but Sauron
otherwise structure songs that are concise and enjoyable, while being
not too fussy at it (in a way which befits the music, of course). The
subdued 'grand' vocals echoing classic Mayhem (in song 'Crowning The
Swarm') would probably benefit from more prominence in future recordings.
Drumming deserves special mention for an incessant assault which never
sounds chaotic, except when chaos is the intent, until the last of the
music fades out again into the opening ambience. OOR
magazine (NL) Vampire
magazine (NL) Fuck me!
Some bands really know where to hit you where it hurts with their all-out
bouts of aural terror, yet not many can cause as much indescribable
pain and lasting damage as Dutch "Apocalyptic Black Metal"
act Sauron. Starting their unholy war in ’96 out of the ashes of
the bands Melech and Satyr, they recorded their debut demo "Death...Tyranny...
War...Blasphemy" in ’99 and shortly after released their self-financed
MCD "True Hate Embodiment", which resulted in the band touring
with the likes of Carpathian Forest, Destroyer 666 and Urn in 2001.
Since then the band have released two full length’s "Universe
Of Filth" (2003) and "For A Dead Race" (2004) and now,
after signing to Carnal Records (SWE), have finally unleashed new album
"The Channeling Void" here in 2007. http://www.zwaremetalen.com/
(NL) Echt goeie black metal van Nederlandse bodem is schaars. Zo schaars dat de toppers uit ons land eigenlijk maar op de vingers van een hand te tellen zijn. SauroN is zo'n band die al een paar jaar tot deze "vingers" behoort en de band komt nu met hun derde full-length album op de proppen: The Channeling Void. Nou ben
ik zelf een beetje bekend met hun debuut Universe of Filth: een goeie
black metal plaat, maar een beetje dertien in een dozijn en ook kwalitatief
kon het allemaal wat beter. For A Dead Race uit 2004 was zeker qua nummers
een stap voorwaarts, maar SauroN's voorlopige hoogtepunt ligt hier nu
voor me! Godver, de band klinkt anno 2007 kwaadaardiger dan ooit en
ook zijn de mannen er qua songwriting enorm op vooruit gegaan! De plaat
begint met een onheilspellend intro waarop het nummer Know My Word Is
His losbarst. Alhoewel losbarst, verrassend genoeg ligt het tempo in
het begin erg laag, iets wat ik bij deze band niet zo snel had verwacht.
Ze zijn echt bezig geweest hun sound nog spannender te maken en dat
is hun zeer zeker gelukt. Uiteraard is het trage tempo maar van korte
duur en voert "Blast-phemer" Ludas al snel het tempo omhoog.
Blastbeats zijn dan ook zeker weer voor een groot deel bepalend op dit
album, maar de kille slepende stukken waar ze af en toe mee komen aanzetten,
voegen wel degelijk een extra dimensie toe. Nou is
het ook weer niet zo dat SauroN hiermee alle vaderlandse black metal
albums mijlenver achter zich laat. Nee, want ook bands als Cirith Gorgor
en Fluisterwoud hebben al laten horen makkelijk mee te kunnen met bijvoorbeeld
de Noorse en Zweedse grootheden. Wat wel vast staat is dat The Channeling
Void zeker bij de liefhebbers van nihilistische, compromisloze black
metal gewoon onder de letter S in de kast moet staan. Metalfan.nl
(NL)
Waar de band in het verleden vaak naast Marduk neergezet werd, lijkt deze vergelijking hedentendage niet meer op te gaan. Sauron heeft een vrij eigen sound ontwikkeld, waar binnen het black metal geweld dat op de luisteraar wordt afgevuurd de nodige ruimte is voor lichte nuances die pas opvallen bij het vaker luisteren van het album. Natuurlijk beschikt The Channeling Void over het nodige blastgeweld, echter gaat men ook wat epischer te werk en zijn de nummers langer uitgesponnen. Nummers als het hysterische en verstorende Secrets Divine en het afsluitende Cognose Semitas Meas laten zien tot welke veelzijdigheid Sauron in staat is. De productie van The Channeling Void is vrij gruizig uitgevallen, vooral op het gebied van de gitaren en de zang. De band creëert hierbij een lekker ouderwets en smerige sfeer, zonder echter oudbakken te klinken. Sauron biedt ons op The Channeling Void weer duidelijk black metal kwaliteit van de bovenste plank. Het is het tot nu toe meest volwassen en uitgewerkte album van de band. Score: 84 / 100 Reviewer:
Jan Lords
of Metal (NL) archiveer onder Black metal Richard G.: Ruim twee jaar geleden leverden de zwartkijkers van Sauron met 'For A Dead Race' al een erg overtuigend misantropisch product af. Met de derde en nieuwe schijf 'The Channeling Void' consolideren de Tilburgers hun positie aan de top van de Nederlandse black metal scene. Op alle fronten is de band weer een stuk gegroeid, resulterend in simpelweg nog betere en vooral nog smerigere nummers. Het gitaargeluid is ten opzichte van 'For A Dead Race' ranziger, maar tegelijkertijd ook duidelijker, dankzij een betere productie. Vooral op het gebied van de tempo's heeft de band alles strak onder controle. Of het nu verwoestend snel is of tergend, bijna doomy, langzaam, alles komt voorbij en wordt vakkundig aan elkaar gebreid. Belangrijkste effect hiervan is dat het spook van verveling en eentonigheid wordt geweerd. Sauron overtreft zichzelf weer en levert met 'The Channeling Void' een black metal schijf van de bovenste plank af.
Violent
Moshground zine (NL)
De derde plaat van onze Tilburgse kornuiten van Sauron klinkt voor mij persoonlijk beter dan hun voorgangers. Sauron produceert op dit album een sfeer die mij wel aanspreekt. Dit is ook niet gek want het nieuwe album van deze Tilbo’s ligt in het straatje van de oude Bathory en Darkthrone. Duister, kil en meedogenloos. Ook muzikaal gaan deze heren steeds meer vooruit, en ondanks dat de jongens in menig andere bands spelen is dit album 1 van de betere blackmetal platen van Nederlandse bodem geworden. Ook is het noemenswaardig dat de band sinds het ontstaan nog steeds in dezelfde line-up speelt. Fans van oldschool blackmetal van eind jaren 80 en begin jaren 90 zullen veel luisterplezier beleven aan dit album. Deze plaat spreekt mij des te meer omdat de blastbeats niet zo nadrukkelijk meer aanwezig zijn en dat de sfeer ten goede komt. Sauron levert hier een plaat af waar ze trots op kunnen zijn!
9,5/10
Patchman
Marco
The black metal of Sauron is filthy, agressive and above all furious. With The Channeling Void, the band delivers their best album so far. After a ominous intro, all hell breaks loose. The biggest difference with its predecessors is that on this album not only the compositions are stronger but also take back speed sometimes, without losing any brutality. It even creates a more evil and creepy atmosphere. This is a pleasant happening. It keeps the album varied between all the razing violence. Also the production is exact what this album needs: raw and filthy. With bands
like Sauron, it’s worth to support the local (read Dutch) black
metal scene. Rating:
86 /10 http://www.mylastchapter.net/
(Sweden) This is
the third fullength by SauroN, but my first listen. From what I understand
they’ve developed quite a lot, but then again I’m not the
right guy to judge since I haven’t heard any earlier material.
What I can tell you is that this is an incredibly hate filled black
metal assault. 85/100 http://www.stereotyp.se/
(Sweden) Holland
bjuder på 45 minuters ondska! Saurons
The Channeling Void bjuder på 8 spår riktigt bra blackmetal. Av: Andreas
Pettersson Fast translation: Sauron plays really good BM. Reminds a bit of Dark Funeral here and there. The album is great, great sound, great vocals, great drumming. The reviewer is impresed by the music but not so found of the name SauroN. Best track 'Secrets Divine' it contains the "little extra", due to the effetcs on the song. In total, no turns, just straight forward BM. Works every time! 6 from 7 points (artwork, production, playing skills, total) http://www.mirgilussiculorum.tk
(Romania) Harmadik
nagylemezehez erkezett a holland Sauron (nem tevesztendo ossze az amerikai
Sauronnal), immaron a Carnal Records egisze alatt jelentetve meg a korongot.
Erdekes egy felallasa van a bandanak, hiszen szamos tag (mas alneveken
termeszetesen) olyan bandakban is erdekelt, mint a zsenialis Bunkur,
vagy a szinten funeral doom/drone Planet AIDS, vagy az ismertebb Flesh
Made Sin. Pusztito black metal a stilus neve, termeszetesen ahogy az
mar elvarhato egy 10 eve tevekenykedo bandatol, a jobbik fajtabol. Svedes
black metalt nyomatnak, korai Dark Funeral is beugrott egy-ket
temanal, de aki az elso lemezes Watainra eskuszik, de sokat hallgatja
a Funeral Mist-et, az biztosan majd nagyon fogja ertekelni a
Sauront is. http://www.pullthechain.be/
(BE) http://www.carnalrecords.se Ludas@saurondeathsquad.com IN EXTREMIS
radioshow & newsletter (Fr) http://www.minacious.net/
(Sweden) Mordant http://www.tartareandesire.com/
http://www.livingformetal.com/
(USA) Council of the Impious (Vicarius Filii Dei), is full on blasting Black Metal fronm the deepest abyss of hell, guitars rage ahead at ear and demonic mind splitting speed, with the surrounding atmosphere chaotic and frightening as hell. Ludas does his non-stop blasting on the drums, as the beats sound like twenty M-16's firing endlessly at one time. Deformed Source of Creation contains guitars that repeat numerous times in my head even when I am done listening to the CD, the riffs are memorable and distinct. SauroN close out The Channeling Void on a good note, with the fast-blaster Doom Metal fringed Cognosce Semita Meas. The Channeling Void was recorded and mixed at Double Noise Studios in Tilburg, Netherlands and mastered at Necromorbus Studio in Sweden, but really I can't tell because the album overall still sounds raw in all musical areas including the vocals, and this is a good thing. If you like your Black Metal raw, fast, and gritty then pick up this album, but to be on the more curious side I will go back and check out the prior albums by SauroN, Universe of Filth and For A Dead Race, because The Channeling Void is growing on me more and more with each listen. SauroN also proves that Black Metal does not need to have a glossy production, but one that's grim, raw, and venomous. 8.5 / 10 www.chroniclesofchaos.com SAURON - The Channeling Void It appears
that there is more in the Dutch air than the pungent sweet aroma of
marijuana, as Sauron are the latest in an increasingly strong line of
black metal bands from this minute northern land. Like their compatriots,
Sauron do not figure prominently in the originality department, but
compensate through an intense and engaging interpretation. Countess, Fluisterwoud, Galgeras, Haatstrijd, Weltbrand and now Sauron -- has the Dutch black metal scene ever been this strong? Q. Kalis http://www.shapelesszine.com (IT) SAURON
Con il
nuovo album degli olandesi Sauron, "The Channeling Void",
la Carnal Records si dimostra ancora una volta un'etichetta attenta
ed affidabile in abito black. Voto: 7.5 / 10 BANDA:
SAURON “The Channeling Void” es el tercer disco de los holandeses Sauron, formados en 1996 y surgidos de las cenizas de otras dos bandas de black metal holandesas, Melech y Satyr. Después de algunas demos debutaron con el MCD “True Hate Embodiment” grabado de forma autofinanciada en el año 2000, y que les valió para girar por su país con bandas de gran reputación como Carpathian Forest, Destroyer 666 o Urn y para que un pequeño sello Dark Horizon Records se fijara en ellos y les financiara su debut oficial. De esta manera en el 2003, debutaron con “Universe Of Filth” resultando nuevamente en la posibilidad de girar con bandas del calibre de Satyricon o Khold. En el 2004 firmaron un nuevo contrato con el sello Neurotic Records para la edición de su segundo disco oficial, titulado “For a Dead race” que vería la luz ese mismo año. Tras tres años de silencio vuelven a la carga con “Channeling the Void”, esta vez respaldado por el sello sueco Carnal Records. El trabajo fue grabado en los estudios Double Noise de Tilburg (Holanda) y masterizado en los estudios Necromorbus y está compuesto por 8 temas de crudo y blasfemo black metal. Su estilo como ya he dicho es un crudo, frío y primitivo black metal, con muy buenas atmósferas, oscuras y depresivas, conseguidas sin la utilización de teclados, guitarras acústicas o cualquier otro elemento extra que podáis imaginar, que siempre facilita la consecución de atmósferas. Como influencias claras de la banda podríamos citar cualquiera de los grupos nórdicos de principios de los 90, ya sea Mayhem, los primeros Marduk o como no, los inigualables Darkthrone. Temas basados en numerosos blastbeats y algún que otro medio tiempo, con una voz terrorífica llena de gritos, dolor y agonía, causante principal de las buenas atmósferas del disco, que desprenden en todo momento una aureola de terror continuo. Tras un pequeño intro de cantos eclesiásticos para meter al oyente en situación, no tardan en encadenarse la guerra. “Know My Word Is His” empieza con ritmos lentos, que recuerdan mucho a aquellos Marduk del “Those of the Unlight”, ayudados por algún que otro sample de campanas para aumentar la oscuridad de la atmósfera creada en estos primeros compases. No tardan en llegar los ritmos rápidos y afilados de guitarra con blastbeats continuos y un sensacional trabajo de su batería a los platillos. Si el primer
tema me recordaba a los primeros Marduk, “Crowning The Swarm”,
guarda sus mismas estructuras, tiempos y la forma de cantar del vocalista
(a ráfagas), de hecho me recuerda a un tema en concreto que no
soy capaz de identificar. Continuos blastbeats sin descanso, nada de
medios tiempos y de nuevo una fantástica interpretación
del batería, por su velocidad, técnica a los platillos
y su variedad de ritmos. A partir de ahí nada que no se haya escuchado en los temas anteriores, salvo en el tema “7”, que contiene un pasaje plenamente doom, con voces apocalípticas y los ritmos más lentos y cansinos del trabajo. Con estas palabras que nadie piense que el disco no invita a la escucha completa, porque estaría completamente equivocado. A pesar de que la fórmula sea la misma, la variedad de riffs es excelente, y los temas no pueden considerarse clones unos de otros. Black metal destructivo e incesante, crudo, frío, repleto de blastbeats, con una voz agonizante y pequeños descansos con ritmos más lentos y atmosféricos. Si te gustan Darkthrone, los primeros Marduk de “Dark Endless” o “Those of the Unlight”, este disco no te va a defraudar. Eso sí, que nadie espere teclados, ni cualquier otro elemento que no sea puramente destructivo! Si ya has escuchado estos holandeses y no te acabaron de convencer, dales una segunda oportunidad con esta tercera entrega, porque su progresión ha sido notable. 80-100 http://www.pavillon666.fr/ http://diabolicalconquest.com/ Herr AIDS:
Bassquakes
And, unholy fucking hell, do they make their points bluntly! As bluntly as tank-treads smearing your head to a bloody paste over the concrete. The dual guitars sound thick and heavy, conjuring up wild, unsubtle and extremely dark riffs the entirety of the album, vocalist Eclipse alternating between a hoarse screaming and a more authoritative guttural barking, backed by a surprisingly technical bass-guitar pulse and a titanically massive sounding drumset; no clickety-click machine-aided nonsense here, but pure, primal destruction, each strike on the drums sounding like a bomb-shell tearing up your city. The production has been expertly handled by the guys at Necromorbus' studio (a recurring theme in my recent reviews apparently) and you can rest assured that the sound fits the intent of the album; clear yet very nasty in sound, every instrument (including the bass) getting its chance to contribute to the inferno. Again, even though this album is set to speed ‘blast' for about three-quarters of its duration, the songwriting is intricate enough to keep your attention the whole way through, with not a single second wasted to too much repetition and every devastating riff appearing long enough to leave a lasting impression, with slower, crushing segments providing well-needed breaks between the whirlwind riffing. Also note that while the word ‘blasting' may be used to describe the speed of the drumming, there is thankfully preciously little reliance on the traditional snare-saturated blast-beat technique, with plenty of vicious pummeling and technical fills added to the assault. There's really little more to add to that. The Channeling Void is monstrously aggressive and destructive for its entire duration, while being intelligent and atmospheric enough to remain engaging for its entire run time of forty-five minutes. If you spit at the current crop of mopey suicidal acts, pseudo-intellectual technical wankfests, and sleep-inducing ‘ambient-black metal' myspace abortions, and have grown similarly weary of the blasturbating grind-core shite passing itself off as aggressive black metal, you'd do well to look into Sauron; they are violence with a brain, wasting not a single note in their effort to lay waste to your senses and destroy you. Recommended with the most extreme prejudice imaginable. 90-100 (Alex Donks)http://www.rockunderground-mag.com/ 85-100
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